Where Is The Heart?
by delena1997
Summary: HIATUS. Damon left when Elena was eighteen and came back four years later with an explanation. Were they ever more? Will Damon's past catch up to them? Has Elena's life moved on too much to include her childhood best friend? Damon/Elena
1. Start Explaining

She stretched, wincing at the bright light filtering into her bedroom. She rolled over like she did every morning and looked at the pictures around the room.

The majority were of her and Damon and it hurt her a little more each day to look at these pictures and remember the times when he had still been here.

She rolled out of bed. He could be dead for all she knew. He'd disappeared for four years, probably wouldn't be back.

Her best friend had upped and left, leaving her only a note which she hadn't had the heart to read.

It wasn't until he was gone that she realised how much she'd miss him if he left.

They'd been best friends since she was four and he was eight, then when she was eighteen he had disappeared. She'd found a note addressed to her but never read it.

She looked over at it now. After four years why couldn't she find the will power to read it?

She already knew the answer, she was scared.

She grabbed the letter determinedly and ripped it open, her heart thudding as her eyes scanned the lines of his memorable print.

_Elena,_

_I'm leaving. Yes, I know you're mad and this was why I left you this. If I told you in person you'd never let me leave. _

_I suppose there's no easy way to tell you I'm leaving and may never come back but I need to. The army was a hard decision to make – mostly because of you. _

_You know me, I don't do emotions. I leave that to my brother – he's confessed his love for you enough times. Maybe it's my turn. _

_You're my best friend first and the girl I like second but if I'm leaving then yeah, you should know._

_It's gonna be pretty damn awkward if you call but I hope to fucking god that you do._

_I know you're majorly pissed at me – and I know you're scary when you're pissed – but if you do eventually read this, even if it's in two, three years time. Call me._

_Damon_

Then he'd left a phone number.

Shit.

There wasn't even a moments hesitation before she grabbed her phone and dialled the number. She didn't care how fucking mad she was at him, she needed to know if he wasn't okay.

* * *

He groaned and cursed silently to himself. Why had he come back here? He'd left a _note _for her for god's sake. A note letting her know that he was disappearing for four years and mat never return. A note not even leaving a phone number. H'd poured his heart out into that note – he didn't do well with spoken emotions then he'd left it on the dresser in her room. He left a fucking _note._

Se probably hadn't even read it. It was probably still sitting on her dresser, her name written quickly in his noticeable handwriting.

She'd be fucking pissed. He ran his fingers through his hair as he pulled up outside the all too familiar house. How did he even know she still lived here? He didn't.

He figured he'd seek out Bonnie – Caroline would have left this town the second she left high school – she would know where to find Elena.

He turned off the engine and stepped out the car and slammed the door shut. He'd literally just landed a few hours ago. He'd hired a car and driven straight here.

He walked up the path, his heart thudding in anticipation. He lifted his hand to knock lightly on the door hit phone started buzzing in his pocket.

He pulled it out, glad for the delay and glanced at the number. Unknown. He sat down heavily on the steps of the porch and answered it suspiciously.

"Hello?"

All he heard was silence on the other end of the line.

"Hello-o-o?"

He heard a choking sob on the other end of the phone and his heart froze.

"_Damon?"_

His suspicions were confirmed. Here he was, standing on the porch of his best friend's house after four years and then she decides to call him.

"Elena?"

He could almost see her smile as laughter erupted through the phone.

"_For god's sake Damon! Where the hell are you?"_

"Yeah. This is slightly awkward." He rummaged around in his pocket for the key he'd always carried to her house. He'd had it since he was nineteen and she had one for his house.

He hung up the phone as he edged the door open.

He could hear Elena's muffled cry of outrage. He raced up the stairs but hesitated before her bedroom door. He could hear her incoherent cursing and smiled.

She was already mad at him, why not make it more?

He burst into the room and roared loudly, successfully terrifying her. Elena screamed before turning around and looking at him, shock clear on her face.

Sadly, it was not quite the reaction he was expecting.

She flung herself into his arms and hugged him so tightly he half expected to choke.

It all went downhill form there.

"You dick!" She punched his stomach. "You left! For four years! With nothing but a fucking note which I just read today!" She accentuated each phrase with a punch to his arm.

He grabbed her wrists and held them against him so she was unable to move. She glared at him, clearly angry but tears leaked down her cheeks.

"I didn't know if you were coming back."

His heart broke at her voice. He realised her wrists and cupped her face with his hands.

"Neither did I."

Her stubbornness evaporated and she fell forward into his arms.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." He rubbed her back slowly.

"You're in an army uniform." It wasn't a question but he answered anyway.

"Yeah. Four year contact. I got back today."

She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide in surprise.

"Today? You got back today and the first this you do it come see me?"

He prodded her in the ribs and gave her a look which she smiled brightly at.

"I missed you, Damon."

His heart melted. He thought his feelings for her had been buried deep but now, in this single moment, they all came rushing back to the surface.

He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you too. Elena So much."

* * *

"You haven't changed a bit. Unfortunately." She smiled at her childish best friend. "You're what, twenty-six?" She shook her head and laid it against his shoulder. She was happy, curled up against his body, he back pressed against his chest with his arms around her.

"Ah, but you love me like this." He held out his little finger. "Forever, remember?" She smiled at the memory and linked her little finger with his.

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Forever."

She looked deep into his eyes. They hadn't changed at all, they were still a deep gorgeous blue. She could kiss him.

She shook herself mentally. No! He was her _best friend. _Her exceptionally hot best friend, but still.

He leaned his forehead against hers. She wasn't the only one feeling this strange connection then. It had always been there but they'd got used to it. Good at ignoring it.

Now, after four years apart it was stronger. Much stronger.

The door swung open but she didn't glance at who walked in. She knew it would either be Klaus or one of his idiotic friends.

"ELENA. WHAT THE FUCK?"

Klaus then. She sighed. She was only with this dick because she couldn't break up with him after he'd saved her brother and Klaus knew it. He held it over her, but that didn't stop him cheating and it didn't stop her doing whatever the hell she wanted.

"Who the fuck is this, Elena?"

She saw Damon's eyes harden as he stood and faced down Klaus.

She hadn't realised how strong he looked. He'd always been tall but now he looked like nothing could tear him down.

"Her best friend. Who the hell are you?" She tensed. She didn't want Damon to know Klaus was her 'boyfriend'

"Her boyfriend. Now fuck off." Klaus' voice was hard. She hated him treating her like a possession but there wasn't much she could do.

Damon stepped up to Klaus, completely ready to fight him. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before. In high school all the guys who'd been interested in her had been scared off by her big tough best friend and all the girls interested in him were sent packing by glares from her.

Looking back, had her and Damon ever been more? She supposed they had. Everyone had thought they were a couple unless they knew better. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed. Well, she'd been completely wasted and so had he but she remembered it even if he didn't. She hadn't brought it up but she probably should have.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You're not my boyfriend, and I'm not your girlfriend." She grabbed Damon's hand and pulled him out the door.

She stormed towards her car and got in, waiting for Damon to join her.

"Do you care to fucking explain, Gilbert? I leave and you immediately get yourself messed up in some shit."

She sighed at his protective nature but smiled as he buried his face in his hands.

He got out the car and walked around to open her door for her.

"Out." She got out confused. "I'm driving."

She smiled. Damon was always insistent he was the better driver. She didn't have the heart to argue so she slid into the passenger seat.

"You better fucking start explain." She sighed. Netter get this over with.

* * *

He was confused. Elena had never been one to let a guy walk all over her and she certainly wasn't letting this Klaus guy control her but she stayed with him.

Hell, he'd never understand this girl's brain. He shouldn't have left. He ground his teeth together as he drove towards the Grill.

He stopped the car and looked at Elena, who looked at him apologetically.

He wrapped and arm around her shoulder and smiled as hers wound it's way around his waist. He led them into the Grill, taking in the shocked faces.

"Shit. I forgot I haven't been seen in four years and now I'm walking into the Grill, in an army uniform with my arm around you." he muttered under his breath and he went to move his arm.

"Don't you dare. Might as well reinforce the old rumour eh?" She smirked and rose his eyebrows. She hadn't changed one bit.

They sat down in silence. She better start talking. How could she let some guy treat her like that? He still had his gun. He would shoot the bastard if he ever hurt her.

Elena looked at him defiantly. Did she have to be so stubborn? God, this girl would be the death of him. If anything she'd got hotter over the past four years. Could he spent the foreseeable future pretending not to feel anything? No.

"As I said before, you better start explaining, Gilbert."

* * *

_A/N: What you guys think? I would have preferred it to be longer but this chapter seemed to need to stand alone without it being messed up with Elena's explanation. Next chapter might include flashbacks to their friendship before Damon left. If you have any requests or ideas please, let me know! That would be great!_

_Hope you all think this is okay!_

_-E x_


	2. Dangerous Territory

Where to start? In all honesty, she couldn't even begin to explain the relief she felt at having Damon back.

"Klaus, is a third rate jackass."

His eyes had always spoken for him, it was the same now. The flashed with anger.

"Your boyfriend."

"No. The man I'm with because he saved Jeremy's life."

That silenced him. He knew her so well. He knew she wouldn't want to talk about that night.

"This is one messed up situation."

"Tell me about it."

She was glad she had Damon. He took the situations as they were and didn't ask questions where questions weren't welcome.

"Why can't you leave?" The one question she couldn't tell him. He would tear Klaus apart if he knew what he did.

"Why do you think?" As predicted, his eyes hardened. He had matured into a man. A soldier. When he'd left at twenty he had been handsome – exceptionally handsome but now... Now there was an air around him. It was confidence and determination. It was strength. He wouldn't let Klaus touch her ever again.

His hand reached out to stroke her cheek, a faint shadow of a bruise remained there. She was glad he hadn't arrived last week when her cheek was a mess of purple and blue.

"That bastard." he murmured under his breath. "Go to the police Elena. Go to the police or I will drag you there."

"I can't. He had friends in all the right places."

"Fuck, Elena. This isn't right. You aren't scared, you're not letting him walk all over you, you're strong but you're trapped. If he touches you again, and I mean even one finger, I will tear him apart."

She stayed silent. Damon didn't understand the extent of her situation. He didn't abuse her, per say but he wasn't a violent person. He lashed out and she always got the brunt of it. He deserved whatever punishment he'd get but she knew better than to go to the police.

The first time he had hit her she had gone straight to them. She had filled a statement but he'd hired a lawyer and gotten off with the help of alibis and anger management doctors.

After that it had only gotten worse.

"Elena, you know me. You know I don't push but I swear to god, if you don't start explaining _everything _I may self combust."

Even in this situation he still managed his humour.

"You left. I met a guy. He introduced me to his brother. His brother was sweet. He became more than a friend. I ended it after a while. He sucked Jeremy into his crowd. Drug dealing, gun smuggling. I don't know about it all and I don't want to know. In the end, Jeremy got caught up in something and Klaus saved him. I said I owed it to him to give it another chance so I did. It didn't work, he was clearly still hung up on some other girl and I was hung up on-"

She broke off, panicked in case she'd accidentally revealed her severely confused feelings. She saw a glimmer of hope and surprise flash through his eyes. She knew he was about to say something so she powered on.

"I tried to leave and he lashed out. I went to the police, filed charges but he got off. It only got worse from there."

She saw Damon's teeth grinding against his gum. She reached out and touched his hand hesitantly. His eyes looked up at hers, pain and anger most clearly shown there.

"Who else knows?"

"At first only Caroline, but she ended up telling Stefan-"

"My brother knows and did nothing about it? That boy better fucking hide before I catch up with him."

She smirked slightly at the thought of Damon turning up on his brother's doorstep. He had assumed the worst and assumed dead. That would make quite a show, Stefan's dead brother turning up on his doorstep absolutely _livid. _

"He thinks your dead."

"He's gonna be dead."

"Calm down. Stefan knows but he did nothing because he had been harassing me for the better part of a year now that you weren't there to tell him where to shove his ideas of dates."

"Bastard."

She smiled. "I missed you, Damon. Hell, I even missed your sarcasm."

* * *

"_I missed you, Damon. Hell, I even missed your sarcasm."_

He smirked at her genuine smile. He visibly softened, his anger ebbing away. Ric would never believe it. He'd always insisted that he had no feelings and kept them in a box somewhere so they wouldn't get involved in anything.

This one girl changed his entire personality. She'd never noticed because she'd known him for her entire childhood but the years in the army had revealed another side to him. Emotionless, strong, determined. He kept those traits, he'd let nothing hurt her.

Man, he was whipped and she wasn't even his girlfriend. He looked at her. She was looking at him with those gorgeous eyes.

"I want to show you something."

She smiled and nodded. He fished around in this jacket for his wallet. It didn't hold money, but he'd been given the idea off of a soldier he'd met once.

It was full of pictures. A soldier in open battle and war zones' only comfort is letters from home and pictures of family.

He tossed it across the table. She picked it up curiously.

"We all had one. It's pictures. That's your only comfort, unless it's letters from home."

She flicked it open and a bundle of pictures fell out.

He watched her closely as she looked through them. He noticed she left the one that was folded up until the end.

She was in every single one except one. One she was holding now. It was a picture of himself, Ric and Kol.

His heart clenched. He didn't know if Kol was okay. They had both been airlifted to hospital after an explosion in their camp, but only word of Ric's recovery had reached him before he'd been sent back.

She must have noticed because she grabbed his hand.

"They'll be okay."

She had always been able to read him. His eyes showed his true feelings and she had figured that out by the time she was eight.

He said nothing, only silently begged her to look at the other photos.

As if understanding she resumed her searching. Her eyes danced as she saw all their most important memories printed in ink. Many were faded and creased as he had opened and unfolded them many times.

He smiled as he watched her unfold the last photo. It was the most faded, the most creased. It was his favourite.

It was of the time he and Elena had danced at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant after her date bailed on her. Someone, her aunt he thought, had taken a picture of them together and given him a copy.

She looked stunning in a royal blue gown with her dark hair curled. Her mouth was curved into a bright smile and her chocolate eyes looked deep into his cerulean ones. He was in a black suit, his eyes bright and dancing. It had been in that dance he had realised what she meant to him.

It had been this photo that had cemented his friendship with Ric. He had unfolded it one night after he had been given his placing and had stared at it for a long time. The man in the bunk next to him had caught a glimpse of the picture.

* * *

"_Man, she's stu-u-u-nning. You're lucky." He looked up to the man talking. Not much older than him. Couple years at the most, twenty-four maybe. "She'll keep you going. Having someone to go back to. Girlfriend?"_

"_Best friend." He had been analysing the picture for years. He couldn't believe he had only kissed her once._

"_No way." _

"_Tell me about it." _

_The young man had said nothing, only stuck out his hand. "Alaric Saltzman." _

"_Damon Salvatore."_

"_Here." he'd passed him him wallet full of pictures. He flipped it open at the topmost picture. A beautiful girl with coppery hair and bright eyes._

"_Girlfriend?" he repeated Alaric's earlier question._

"_Yeah, ex-best friend, current girlfriend. That's why I'm telling you man, you're more to that girl than you know."_

_Alaric had held out his hand. He took it as an invitation to see his own pictures. _

_He watched as Alaric flicked through them._

"_They're all of her."_

"_I know." _

"_How did she react when you told her you were coming here?"_

_Now he was into dangerous territory. "She doesn't know."_

"_Well, I'll tell you know. When you go back, find her first then tell her."_

_He didn't need to ask what. He knew what he meant._

"_Nice to talk, Alaric."_

"_Ric."_

"_Nice to talk, Ric. Don't get sent down."_

_He was wary of close relationship with the others. They were moving into open combat in Afghanistan, any one of them could be killed. _

"_You too, Damon."_

* * *

He smiled at the memory from all those years ago. Ric would be home soon and he knew he'd come to Mystic Falls just to make sure he did what he said he would and told her how he felt.

He would tell her. He'd tell her once he got her out this fucking mess she was in.

"Okay. First. My brother."

She laughed, her voice musical. "This will be fun to watch."

He held out her hand, delighted that she took it without a moments hesitation. Her hand was warm in his. He didn't know how to take the way she had intertwined her fingers through hers.

He pulled her in and wrapped his arm around her. She placed her arm around his waist like the way she had done on the way in.

They ignored the car. They walked to the Boarding House talking and laughing. He would tell her. Eventually.


	3. Date Night

He was literally going to kill his brother. He had always insisted he had been in love with Elena since they had all been children. He ground his teeth together as he stomped towards the Boarding House.

"Damon, why are you even doing this? It's not like he could have done anything."

Elena was trying to defend Stefan. Stefan could have done everything. He could have gone to the police. He and Caroline could have testified against Klaus.

"Did he come forward with evidence?"

"No." he saw Elena's jaw tighten.

"Exactly. The could have done _something."_

"He thinks you're_ dead, _Damon!" So? He'd never been that close. Stefan was probably relieved at his absence.

"Don't care." was all he could spit out as he pushed through the door. Obviously his brother didn't lock the door.

"Stefan! You are in some serious shit baby brother!"

Stefan came thundering down the stairs, his face pale.

"Damon? What? Elena?" was all he managed to splutter out.

Damon's face was like thunder, his piercing blue eyes like lightning, his voice like ice.

"You let that fucking bastard touch her? What the fuck Stefan? He shouldn't have laid a _finger _on her!"

Stefan knew him almost as well as Elena. Neither had seem him this angry. He held his hand up in surrender.

"What could I do Damon? Klaus would've sent some guys round to make me withdraw my statement!"

"And you couldn't toughen up for five minutes?"

"They would have beaten me half to death Damon." Stefan's voice was resigned. Did he honestly think that was a suitable answer?

"You couldn't stand up to them so you let her get beaten around for it?"

His brother's face paled dramatically.

"You didn't think about that did you?" he spoke bitterly. He'd always been protective of Elena. He always would be.

Elena was standing behind him silently. She was strong.

"What did you expect me to do Elena?"

He was going to answer for her with some violent cursing but she beat him to it.

"Anything Stefan! You didn't testify! So you know what happened?" Her voice hardened considerably. "I came back from the trial and he 'taught me a lesson' to use his words.

Stefan's eyes widened in realisation.

"That was.. but you- you said you fell down the stairs!"

"Because he pushed me!"

Stefan sat on the sofa, his head in his hands.

He mirrored his brother and sat down on the opposite sofa, running his fingers through his hair.

He barely registered Elena walk out and leave, her head held high. He stood silently.

"If she gets hurt, just remember – you could have helped."

He nodded to his brother who looked completely broken and followed the one girl he'd ever let in out of the door.

As boys, he and his brother had always said they wouldn't let anything hurt her but at the end of the day, he would be the one to keep her safe.

* * *

After confronting Stefan a million different scenarios rushed through her head. If he'd just come forward...

Would things been different?

She knew in her heart that they would. The judge had said that it came down to her word against Klaus' and Klaus had friends to back him up. If Stefan had come forward so would Caroline. So would Bonnie.

Things would be different.

She'd spent nearly six months after the trial living in fear until she woke up and realised he couldn't hurt her too badly. She woke up and she fought back.

She groaned and leaned her head back against the head rest. Damon was in the driver's seat. He had said something about dinner. She'd agreed without hesitation. It was familiar. He would drive her our for dinner to some new, exotic place out of town. They would eat and laugh and talk. He would drive her home and walk her to the front door.

She paused in her reminiscing. A old memory resurfacing.

/

_Lights flashed as Damon drove way faster than he should down the highway in his new camaro. He'd recently got his license and had seemed to have driven her everywhere within an hour's distance._

_Tonight they had been at some place in the middle of nowhere. Quesadilla she think it was called._

"_Damon, I'm already like an hour past curfew and it's fine. Slow down!" _

_Her parents wouldn't mind. They had watched Damon grow up and trusted him. She knew her dad was worried about her being so close to a eighteen year old boy, but her mother was insisting they were the most oblivious teenagers she knew and that they were in love with each other. _

_That's probably why the let their sixteen year old daughter drive around with a recently licensed eighteen year old. It was practically a recipe for disaster. _

"_Live a little, Elena!" She rolled her eyes, that was all he ever said. _

"_I can't if you crash this car and I die." He smirked and slowed down a bit._

"_I'd never crash." he insisted._

"_Then why d'you slow down?"_

"_'Cause I'm whipped." She thought nothing of his choice of words. They were always pretending to be together. They had told Caroline that tonight was 'date night' and that's why they couldn't come to her party. _

"_Yes. Yes you are."_

_He laughed and smiled brightly. She loved his smile. It lit up his whole face and went right to his eyes. She rarely saw it in company. It was like a smile reserved for her._

"_Looks like date night's over, 'Lens." he said as he pulled up in front of her house. He got out his car and circled it to open her door, bowing like a gentlemen._

_He held out his hand and she grabbed it automatically. He walked her to the porch and held her hand as she walked up the steps. _

_She turned back and found herself eye level with his icy blue eyes. _

"_I had a great time, Damon." she smiled sweetly and lost herself in his eyes. She was used to these feelings with Damon. He was gorgeous and she sometimes wondered if she felt more than friendship for him._

"_Me too." he spoke softly. His eyes were gazing into hers. _

_She instinctively leaned towards him and he met her half way. His lips centimetres away from hers._

"_Evening."_

_Her mother's voice cut through the magical spell which had been woven between them. They both jumped backwards and looked away embarrassed. _

_She couldn't resist glancing at Damon, who's gorgeous blue eyes were trained on hers. _

"_Goodnight, Elena." he spoke softly._

_He leaned in and for a split second she thought he would kiss her. He pressed his lips to her cheek softly before he turned and walked away. He slid into his sleek black car and sped away._

_She stared after him, marvelling at what had just happened between them._

_Had it been something? If so, what? What was it between them? Yes, she found his attractive but how did she feel about him? _

_She touched her fingers to her lips where Damon's would have been if her mother had not interrupted. _

"_Just friends, huh?" _

_She turned and saw her mother standing watching her, her eyes soft. She placed a kiss against her cheek, much like Damon had done, before walking inside._

_She stood there was a long time, staring at nothing._

_She walked into the house and closed the door softly behind her and trailed up to her bedroom in a daze._

_She lay awake for a long time before she came to her conclusion._

_She had feelings for her best friend. _

_She had feelings for Damon Salvatore._

* * *

"What you thinking about?" She was woken form her daydream by his voice.

"Date night."

He burst out laughing and she felt herself lighten at the sound.

"Old times, huh?"

She looked at him, debating whether she should bring it up. She decided against it. Whatever feelings she had felt that night were probably gone for him. It had been six years ago. _Six._ She had been sixteen, him eighteen. She was now twenty-two and he was twenty-four. They would be gone for him but that didn't mean they were gone for her.

"Do you remember that night?" She froze for a second before she relaxed. He wouldn't be thinking of the same night.

"You're gonna have to narrow it down. I saw you almost every day for nearly fourteen years."

"Fourteen years." He sighed in awe.

"I know."

Fourteen years and she had seen him nearly everyday then one day he had disappeared.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"For leaving." Her heart clenched. It must have been as hard for him as her. He had been without her for four years just like she had been without him.

"Every day since I was four years old until the time I was eighteen. Then suddenly-" Her voice wavered but she steadied it.

She'd stopped crying a long time ago. She was good at stopping her tears unless she was caught unaware.

"I know. Suddenly, I was gone. I'm sorry, Elena."

"I didn't even read that note until the day you turned up here."

She'd already told him that but she'd been angry and yelling. She doubted he had heard.

"I wish you'd read it earlier."

She didn't say anything. She gazed out the window. Lights flashing by way too fast. It was so familiar. It was like she had gone back five years and were just going out to dinner.

They drove in silence before he pulled up at a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

"Do you remember that night now?"

She stared at him in shock before staring at the restaurant. Quesadilla.

"Of course I do." He smiled widely, his eyes illuminating his whole face.

"Like I could forget."

If he heard her comment he didn't say anything. He simply wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

It felt so right.

* * *

"Why did we never come back here?" He smirked at her trying to talk through a mouthful of pasta.

"When did we ever go somewhere twice?" She rolled her eyes.

"It was rhetorical."

"I answered anyway."

His heart melted at her smile. He'd come back here because of what had happened after they had been here. He'd never been quite so warm to Miranda after that. Just thirty more seconds. _Thirty more seconds. _If she'd only waited he could have kissed her when he wasn't completely hammered.

She caught a glance at the time on the clock on the wall and her face paled and her eyes widened ever so slightly before hiding it.

It worried him. He knew she was worried about Klaus. He knew her so well. He was the only thing which could worry her so much.

He stood silently and paid the bill. When he glanced back at her she was still looking at the clock, watching the minutes go by.

He took her hand and pulled her off of her seat so she was standing almost nose to nose with him. Or nose to chest. He was taller. He looked down and took her face in his hands.

"I won't let him hurt you."

Her eyes flashed with shock. Did she really think they had changed that much?

"Then don't leave."

"I promise I won't ever leave you again."

And he meant it. She buried her face in his neck. He held her tight for a moment before leading her back to the car.

They drove silently and he knew he drove to fast.

"Slow down, Damon. I don't have a curfew any more." He smiled as a vague sense of deja vu washed over him.

"Live a little, Elena." She smiled brightly. He could remember every moment of that night.

"I can't if you crash the car and I die." She burst out laughing when she spotted him mouthing the words a long with her.

"I'd never crash." She smirked.

"Then why d'you slow down?" It felt so surreal. As if they had truly wound back the years to that night.

"'Cause I'm whipped." He pretended to smack her when she said the words in usion with him.

"Are you still whipped? Even after all these years?"

They had arrived at her house and he felt hesitant to let her go inside to Klaus but he figured it would be worse if she didn't go in.

He walked her to her door, the way he had done more times than he could count. As usual she was a few steps higher than him making them completely level with each other.

He stepped up onto the same step as her and cupped her face in his hands.

"Elena Gilbert. I will always by whipped when it comes to you."

She looked into his eyes. Her brown eyes dancing and full of fire.

He didn't hesitate any more. He pressed his lips to hers. He felt her shock more than resistance before she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

A door swinging open broke them apart too soon. Klaus stood in the doorway, his eyes burning with rage.

"Inside now."

He wanted to fight him so badly. He knew he couldn't. If he fought him then he knew Klaus would be even more angry with her.

"If you touch her it will not end well for you." He spoke with such confidence he almost fooled himself but Klaus now seemed unsure of himself. His act had worked.

"Goodnight Elena."

He slipped into the shadows his mind reeling. All those memories and feelings he had buried were back and they were killing him.


	4. Late Night Arrivals

"What the fuck, Elena?"

His voice was low and hard, as if she was a possession and it was seriously pissing her off to no end.

"So have you lost your eyesight as well as your common sense?"

"Don't talk to me like that!" He was yelling now. This was normally the point she shut up, apologised and took whatever he said.

"I'll talk to you how I like!" She should seriously stop talking. Arguing and talking back had never gotten her anywhere.

He pushed her up against the wall his eyes hard and cold. She stared back at him defiantly.

"Learn some respect, you stupid woman."

His face was inches away from hers. She could smell his beer soaked breath and she fought the urge to gag. So he had been drinking. Great. Take away his already non-existent morals and all you were left with was a cold, empty man who was still heart broken and he took it out on her.

"Respect is earned."

He had backed her into a corner but she refused to be scared of him. She was shaken on the inside, terrified of whatever hurt he would make her endure but on the outside she was strong and determined. Defiant and scared of nothing. He would do anything he could to break her.

"Then it's time you earned it."

She felt his hand touch her face and she automatically stiffened.

"Don't touch me."

"Now, Elena. Don't be like that."

He grabbed one of her wrists in each of his hands and held them against the wall. His grip was tight enough to leave bruises. In the morning she would wake up to small circular bruises marking where his fingers had been.

He grabbed her face tightly.

"Such a pretty face."

He leered at her. It was at that moment she let the fear take over. It was always in the last moments. She refused to show it on the outside.

It happened so fast. He didn't hit her. He pushed her against the wall so hard that she hits her head. Lights flashed in front of her and her vision clouded for a split second before every sense returns, heightened, the throbbing in her head doubled.

He shoves her hard against the wood of the rail of the staircase. Pain flashes through her back as her head thuds in time with her heart.

"Goodnight, Elena."

He kissed her. Hard. It was cold and cruel and emotionless. It wasn't a show of affection but merely a show of who was in control and who she should be kissing.

She gathered the last ounce of her strength and pushed his away.

Klaus gasped, shocked by her display of resistance. His eyes flashed with anger as she wrenched herself away from his grip.

"If you leave now, it will end badly for you." His words washed over her.

She just looked at him, her gaze full of anger and pity and disgust.

She confined herself in her room, he never slept in the same bed as her.

She slid her phone into her pocket and grabbed her bag. It had everything she needed.

Her window was still open and she slipped out and jumped to the ground with ease that said more about her rebellious teenage years than anything else.

Where to go? Who to go to? The answer was obvious.

Damon.

* * *

She cursed herself as she trudged along the dark street to the Boarding House. Why did he have to live on the complete other side of town? She was having the time of her life navigating the dark streets at two-thirty in the morning.

She hadn't even changed out of the outfit she'd worn to dinner. Short shorts and a plain t-shirt. She'd slipped on her leather jacket which had been a birthday present from Damon on her seventeenth which kept the wind off of her but didn't keep out the cold.

She glanced at her surrounding. She was pretty certain the Boarding House was only a couple streets away but she wasn't one hundred percent sure.

Your town looks different when the lights are out. There are no people or cars. Street lamps were scarce on this road. It was eerie and she felt slightly uncomfortable.

Her heart leapt as she rounded a corner and spotted the Boarding House. She sighed. She wished she wasn't so relieved. It made her feel as though she was reliant on someone else and needed them to keep going.

She glanced at the time on her phones display. Her phone flashed back at her. 2:57. Was it really three o'clock in the morning. She cursed and walked quickly to the house that had granted her so much relief.

She slid out her keys and flicked through them, silently thanks Damon for giving her a key to the Boarding House.

Of course, she'd never had to use it before but it was like dialling 999 – you rarely used it, but when you did you were thankful you had that option.

She tried to edge in as quietly as possible, her heart thudding. She desperately did not want to wake anyone. Both brother's would come charging down the stairs and she didn't know if she could face their questions until morning.

An unexplainable source urged her to just flick on the light switch but again, they would come downstairs and bombard her with a million questions.

She navigated her way up the stairs then hesitated as she viewed the selection of doors. She knew which one was Damon's and which was Stefan's. She also knew which one's had beds that were permanently made up incase of unexpected guests.

Without another thought she slipped as quietly as she could through the door directly to her left.

The curtains weren't drawn so moonlight illuminated the room in a soft glow. She headed straight to the bathroom and slipped off her shorts and jacket.

She padded barefoot to the bed and slipped quietly into it, careful not to shake it incase he woke up.

Damon stirred in his sleep and rolled over to face her, a hand subconsciously reaching out and pulling her close to him, her face falling perfectly into the crook of his shoulder.

She felt her eye lids grow heavy and soon she let her self succumb to the exhaustion she had been fighting.

Soothed by the melody of his steady breathing she drifted into a sleep uninterrupted by nightmares or worries. For the first time in a long time, she fell asleep and she felt safe.

* * *

He froze as he heard the front door open quietly. He hadn't slept. He'd be plagued by worries about Elena. Klaus had caught them kissing then he'd let her go inside. Why the fuck did he do that? He groaned silently.

He wanted nothing more than to drive over to her house and see if she was okay but of course that would aggravate Klaus even more.

He was haunted by his own words. _'If she gets her – it's your fault.' _It would be his fault now. If she got hurt. If he even thought about laying a finger on her he would never forgive himself.

And now, to add to his problems, he was almost certain someone had just walked into his house at three in the morning and now they were making there way upstairs.

His heart was beating faster and faster as he watched hit door edge open silently. He always gasped when he saw who it was.

Elena. The girl who had been haunting his thoughts had just walked into his bedroom. He instantly relaxed. He thought about saying something but he knew there would be a reason she was here and he also knew she would most definitely not want to talk about it right at this moment.

She disappeared into his bathroom before padding softly to his bed and slipping in next to him.

He wanted to reach out and pull her close. He wanted to let her know he was awake.

He rolled over slowly, as if he was still asleep and let his arm fall across her. He pulled her close and held her tight.

Her face fell into the hollow between his neck and shoulder blades and he felt her relax, all tension seeping out of her body.

Elena's breathing evened out and he knew she had drifted into sleep. He placed a kiss against her shoulder and he too, fell into the land of dreams.

* * *

Her mind yelled in protest as sunlight woke her. She cracked her eyes open a centimetre and took in her unfamiliar surroundings.

Damon's room.

She smiled slightly to herself remembering the last time she'd stayed here.

* * *

_She ran full pelt into his bedroom and jumped onto his bed. He raced after her and crashed next to her. _

"_You should have heard my parents before I left." She shook her head. They were sure her and Damon were secretly dating._

_He rolled on top of her and started tickling her mercilessly. This was one fight she knew she wouldn't win so she did the only reasonable thing she could._

_She screamed. Her loudest, highest, girliest scream. Damon's face was a picture of shock and confusion which turned her screams to laughter._

"_My god. You're face!" He pretended to smack her before groaning and rolling over so she was on top of him. She was now straddling him, her chin resting on his chest. _

_No wonder people thought they were dating. Why did they always act like this? Like a couple? Hey, she wasn't complaining but she always did wonder. _

"_Remind me why you're staying the night again?" _

"_Because you love me and can't spend a night without me." she replied without missing a beat._

_He rose one eyebrow. "Well yes. That. Why else?" She laughed softly._

"_Because I love you and can't spend a night without you?" She tried to make it sound like a question but she didn't miss the shock flash through Damon's eyes. _

"_Oh, and my parents are away for the weekend so-" she fluttered her eyelids at her best friend. "-I said I would stay here." She winked at him._

_He groaned. "Only a weekend?" _

"_I know. I know. Too short." He nodded in agreement before tipping her off of him and rolling off the bed and heading to the TV. _

"_Movie?" She nodded smiling. "Popcorn. Go!" She laughed as she raced downstairs and grabbed a bag of microwavable popcorn. _

_She lifted herself up onto the counter and waited for the microwave to start dinging annoyingly._

"_Shouldn't you be at home at this time?" She glanced up and saw Stefan leaning against the breakfast island. _

_She always wondered why she wasn't better friends with him. They were the same age, had the same interests. She supposed they just didn't go well together._

"_Nope, you're stuck with me for the weekend." _

_Stefan's grin grew wider and she groaned inwardly. The guy had to give it up. "The whole weekend huh? Well, if you ever feel like a night out, you know who to ask." _

_She shook her head and didn't bother to answer. Stefan had first asked her out when they had both been thirteen and now, four years later, he was still trying. The guy was persistent to say the least._

_Thankfully the microwave finally started it's annoying dinging. She grabbed a large bowl and emptied the contents of the bag into it before racing up the stairs and crashing onto Damon's bed._

"_What we watching?" _

_She asked him and he climbed up next to her and snatch some popcorn._

"_I don't know. I just played whatever was left from the last time you stayed."_

_She groaned. It had been some horror last time and she had spent the whole time hiding underneath Damon's arms. _

_He chuckled. "Sorry, I forgot. I can change it-" he trailed off and looked at her. She shook her head and silently crawled between Damon's legs and pressed her back to his chest. _

_She could feel his laughter as she then gathered the duvet and pulled it over them. She shook her head and relaxed back against him as his familiar arms crept around her._

"_I hate you." _

"_You love me." She smiled. She had figured out a long time ago how he felt about Damon she just hadn't had the courage to say anything._

"_As much as you love me then." She felt his breath against her ear._

"_A lot then." _

_His arms tightened around her and his chin fell to rest against her shoulder. She pressed her cheek against his._

_For the duration of the movie they stayed like that. She didn't concentrate on the images flashing across the screen but on Damon. _

_Did he feel the same way? She sometimes thought he did, like tonight. Caroline had once asked her what a perfect relationship was. If she asked again she would tell her. It was this. Right now. Curling up and watching a movie and falling asleep in his arms._

_She sank down lowers and rested her head back against him. Her eyes drifted shut and she could have sworn she felt his lips against her forehead._

_Surely they weren't just friends. Not anymore. How many of her friends could say they had fallen asleep in their best friend's arms?_

* * *

She stretched and registered the arms which trapped her against something hard. She went to roll away but a shooting pain in her back caused her to fully awaken and sit bolt upright. Memories of the previous night crashing over her.

She get up and sped into the bathroom and turned round to try and see the extent of the bruise she knew had formed on her back.

Damon got out of bed and was by her side in moments. His eyes hardened and she groaned as another movement caused her back to ache.

He placed her hands on her hips and pulled her close to him. She watched their reflections in the mirror. She knew how she felt about him but how did he feel? Did he think it was just a one time kiss?

He kissed her temple softly before switching on the tap on his gigantic bathtub.

She watched him fill the tub with curious eyes. He had slept without a shirt on and she couldn't help but stare at the beauty of his perfectly sculpted chest.

He held out a hand to her and pulled her over to the bathtub. She was slightly hesitant. He seemed to sense it so her turned around while she pulled her t-shirt over her head. She kept her underwear on. She didn't know where the two of them stood and she didn't want to feel so vulnerable in her best friends bathroom.

She slid into the roasting water and sighed as it instantly soothed her back. He turned back to her haltingly before making her way to the seat which sat at the head of the bath.

She had expected to be attacked with a million questions so she wasn't ready to break the silence to allow them to come poring out.

Her eyes opened and she was met with piercing blue eyes. She held out her hand to him and tugged him to the water.

Damon's eyes widened in disbelief and shock before he hesitantly joined her in the water, minus his sweats.

She knew he could see her back in all it's glory so she prepared for the angry tirade and self-inflicted guilt he would come out with.

"Fuck, Elena." His tone worried her slightly. It wasn't panicked but it wasn't calm either. It was a tone he used when he was trying to hide something that was a lot larger than she assumed.

"How am I going to get you out of this?"

He sounded so helpless it broke her heart a little. It wasn't his responsibility. She turned in the water and met his eyes with an unwavering gaze.

She wrapped her arms around her necks and pulled him closer before she stole a kiss from him. She felt his smile and he buried his face in her neck.

"You don't have to."

And he didn't. He had no responsibility to help her. Yes, he wanted to, but he didn't need to.

"Tough."

Was all he said before capturing her lips once more.

* * *

_A/N: Please tell me what you think of this! I don't know if you're enjoying this or not. I hope you are. Obviously. Next Chapter will be up as soon as I can figure out what to write about._

_-E x_


	5. Five Seconds

"Elena?" He shook her gently. "Hey, wake up." She groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. He rolled out of bed and smirked. She'd never been a morning person. Ever.

Once she'd got out of the bath it had still be early so she'd crashed out on the bed again, refusing to move for the next couple hours. With nothing to occupy him he'd joined, holding her tight against him.

He smirked. She had always been awful at morning. He kept his face out of reach of her fist. He remembered the day in precise detail when he'd gone to wake her up for school and she rewarded him with a punch in the face. His friends had mocked him for weeks even after the bruise had faded.

He leaned in a pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. She grumbled happily, mumbling about still being asleep.

"You have five seconds, Elena." 5... 4... 3... 2... 1½... 1... ¾ … He sighed. She really was asking for it.

He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her over his shoulder while she shrieked in protest, giggling hysterically.

"You're up now. So stop complaining sleepyhead."

She groaned. "Ow. Damon, ow! Put me down!"

He put her down in a heartbeat before crouching in front of where se sat on the bed rubbing the tops of her arms soothingly.

"You can't go back, Elena." He left no room for argument.

"It's my _home. _I grew up there. We grew up there."

"You grew up here too." She giggled and swatted him playfully. "I'm being serious!"

"I know you are." The smile her face had held moment earlier slipped, not quite reaching her eyes.

"You have to go to the police. For me."

He saw the fight in her eyes, the reluctance, the _fear. _He wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

"It's _me, _Elena. _Me." _The fight faded, just slightly. The reluctance in her eyes drained and she rested her head in her shoulders.

"I will. I will."

He almost collapsed in relief. He pressed a kiss into her hair before standing up and hauling her up with him. It was so easy – so familiar.

"Food. Now." He pointed to the door. She laughed at him softly, her eyes dancing as she made her way to the door.

"You coming?" She was so perfect. She was dressed in her t-shirt. That was all. Expect underwear but that didn't really count. He could see every _inch _of those legs. He was up and had wrapped his arms around her in a matter of seconds.

She twirled in her arms and stared up at him smiling into his eyes.

"I forgot something." She said softly before kissing him gently and darting away downstairs giggling happily.

A wave of deja vu washed over him. He shook himself. Everything from their teens seemed to be happening again.

* * *

"_You were supposed to be staying in Jeremy's room!" She hissed softly as he edged into her bedroom through the bathroom that connected her room to her brother's._

_He pouted. "But this is more fun!" _

_He crashed onto her bed and buried his face in her hair. "Night 'Lena."_

"_Damon!" she hissed again but her smile took the bite out of her tone. He rolled over and smirked at her, delighted by the struggle she was putting up not to laugh. _

"_Yes?" he whispered softly, glancing up at her seductively._

_He was staying for the week while his parent were away. They hadn't trusted him no to raze the house to the ground. Apparently seventeen year olds weren't 'responsible' enough to _not_ throw a massive, booze-fuelled party. Huh, who knew? He'd protested until they'd mentioned staying with the Gilberts. Then he was more than happy to agree. _

"_Come on, Damon. You're gonna get caught then my parents will _never_ stop talking about it." She was still protesting with her voice but she curled up against him, resting her head on his chest_

_He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap while she squealed loudly._

"_Hey! You'll get us caught!"_

_A light switched on in the bathroom and they held their breath until Baby Gilbert appeared in the doorway looking thoroughly confused._

"_'Lena? You okay-" he stopped short and realisation flashed across his face. "I thought you guys were friends?" _

"_Yep." He smirked at Elena's flippant tone. Of course she wasn't going to offer an explanation._

_He kissed her cheek and winked at Jeremy. "The advantages of having a girl best friend, Gilbert."_

"_Mom and Dad will never shut up about this if they found out." She shook her head and rolled out of his lap._

"_Go." She said almost reluctantly while pointing to the door._

_He stood up groaning and sauntered back to Jeremy's room. The kid had _the _worst timing imaginable. He paused half-way to the door, an idea forming in his head._

_He turned round. "I think I forgot something." He smirked at her confused expression and made his way back to her._

_He leaned down close, looking into her eyes. He was close enough to kiss her. Finally. He almost backtracked and stole a kiss – just one kiss, for god's sake. _

_He leant in closer before diverting off the the side at the last second. "Goodnight, Elena." he whispered in her ear. Revelling in the reaction she had._

_She smacked his arms and collapsed back into the pillows._

"_Jerk." he heard her mutter softly under his breath._

_He smiled before crashing out on the blow up mattress on the floor. One day. One day he would kiss her and he would fucking enjoy it._

* * *

He followed her down to the kitchen where he found her staring transfixed at a phone – his phone? - her eyes wide and staring. Hell, she looked _pissed._

Confusion poured through him. "Elena?"

Her head snapped up and a she blinked quickly, all traces of vulnerability gone.

"What is it Lay?" he asked quietly using an old nickname from years ago.

"Nothing. Nothing it's okay." he groaned silently. He couldn't push her. He never pushed her. He never had to – she always told him everything, good; bad. When she was jealous and when she was pissed. What had pissed her off so bad that she couldn't tell him?

She pushed past him muttering about calling Caroline leaving the phone on the table. He grabbed it quickly and his heart sank as he stared at the message on the screen.

Shit.

* * *

She had wandered out of Damon's room, the whole Klaus problem pushed to the side by the happy fuzz that had settled in since Damon had been back.

She'd entered the kitchen and started a mission of finding the coffee when a phone had started chiming in the other room.

Deciding she may as well see what it was she grabbed the phone and brought it through to the kitchen before clicking on the message. There was a missed call. Unknown number.

She took a sip of her coffee and nearly spat it out in disgust.

_I hear you're back in town. What a coincidence – me too. -Katherine._

She almost deleted it. Almost. She couldn't though. That would make her look crazed and jealous. She hesitated. She _was _jealous. Katherine was _stunning. _Long red hair and green eyes. She always looked perfect and she'd breezed into town just before she had turned eighteen and had made it her mission to screw with Damon.

* * *

"_Shots?" She nodded enthusiastically while rolling her eyes._

"_You're corrupting me!" His face displayed mock-hurt. She elbowed him so his mock-hurt turned to mock-offence._

"_You're eighteen in like, a week – so what?" Damon smirked with a wink as accepted the shot from him._

"_Well. You look promising." came a sickly sweet voice from the chair next to Damon. _

_He rose his eyebrows as he took in the girl who had arrived. _

_Tall. Dark red hair. Slanting Green eyes. Fucking supermodel material – bitch. _

"_Well gorgeous, I'm spoken for." She struggled not to laugh. He always did this. She figured it was his way of getting out of awkward encounters and send away hopefuls with the pride somewhat still intact - but this girl? He was turning down _her?

"_That can change." she spoke slyly. _

_She was liking the girl less and less every second. The laughter faded from her cheeks and she turned to look at the girl directly. _

"_Not likely." Now it was Damon's turn to struggle not to laugh. He'd told her several times she was 'hot when she was jealous'_

_The girl gave her a look that made her want to rip her head off of her shoulders. _

"_Katherine." said the girl to Damon, smiling seductively._

"_Damon." he replied disinterestedly. "Now, if you'll excuse us." he trailed off at the end and spun round in his chair to face her._

_She knew he was amused by her face. He could always tell if she was pissed and right now she most definitely was._

_He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she wound hers around his waist._

_Katherine clearly wasn't going to let him go that easily. She walked quickly and stood in front of him. By the look on his face e was getting pissed too. _

_She pressed on fingernail into his chest suggestively._

"_It's a small town. I'll see you around." _

_Damon looked at the girl. Katherine wouldn't be able to tell but she could. She could see it in his eyes – he was pissed and equally uncomfortable at the same time. _

_He shrugged away from Katherine' finger and looking at her apologetically before pressing a kiss to the top of her head._

_She hoped to fucking god she wouldn't see that bitch again._

* * *

She groaned as she flicked through the contacts on her phone. She needed someone to rant to until they hung up. She needed someone who despised Katherine as much as she did.

She found the contact and clicked on it, letting it ring and praying they would answer.

"Thank god, Caroline. Thank fucking _bitch _is back."

* * *

_A/N: Okay.  
_

___1) Yes, I changed Katherine's appearence but only because I sometimes feel when I am reading FF myself and they don't describe Katherine it is hard to imagine her are anyhting other than looking like Nina Dobrev so I changed it completely in this fic. _

_2) Why is Elena so pissed that Katherine is back? Why is Caroline equally pissed? Oooooooh._

_Are you all liking this? I have a new sort of idea for a fic floating around in my head and the next chapter of 'Brown Eyes' is in the works. _


	6. On The Rocks

"_Thank god, Caroline. Thank fucking bitch is back."_

* * *

"_You have five seconds to explain before I march round to yours and take my anger out on you."_

She would have smiled if she wasn't so freaking pissed off.

"Explain what, Care? She's back." she moaned into the phone. Why did she have to be back?

"_She'll go after them both. _Again_. For god's sake, the girl's desperate." _

Caroline's moaning echoed hers. They were on exactly the same page when it came to Katherine.

"Both Caroline? Care, she'll go after all three! Ask him if he's heard from her."

"_Oh I will. And if he has, I may scream."_

"Don't break anything expensive, Care. Bye."

She collapsed onto the bed and groaned into the pillow. She bed shifted and the mattress groaned when Damon crashed onto it next to her.

"Come on, Lay! Why's she got you so pissed off?" She smiled at the old nickname. He'd used it in the kitchen and she hoped he kept using it. She liked it. She'd always liked it.

* * *

"_Elena-a-a-a-a!" Damon's voice sang through the house. _

_She panicked and glanced in the mirror. She had every insecurity every twelve year old had but it intensified whenever Damon was in five feet of her. _

_She smirked smugly at the thought of her best friend. All her other friends were jealous of her having an 'older, hotter' best friend. They constantly told her to invite him round when they were round but she never did. She didn't want to share him._

"_God, your name is such a mouthful." groaned the fourteen year old as he exploded into her room._

"_So is yours!" He stuck his tongue out at her._

"_We're playing football today, all my mates want to meet you." he frowned. "They think I'm making you up." _

_She struggled not to burst into giggles. "Why would you make me up?" _

_He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "They all think you're really pretty and they don't believe you're my best friend."_

_She couldn't hold in the laughter anymore. She exploded out in fits of giggles until he prodded her in the ribs. "Well I am." _

_She smirked as he hugged her tight. "C'mon Laylay." He laughed suddenly. "Laylay."_

"_Don't call me 'Laylay'" she exclaimed outraged. _

_He shrugged. "Lay?" she nodded. She liked the sound of that._

"_I like that."_

_He nodded smiling. "Me too."_

* * *

"Elena. Really." he was taunting her but underneath she knew he really wanted to know.

She groaned and buried her face in the pillow. "She's just such a bitch." she mumbled incoherently.

Damon laughed and wrapped his arms around her and pulling her into his arms.

"She's after you, which is why I'm pissed. She's after Stefan which is why Caroline's pissed and she's been after Elijah since she saw us together like, three years ago." She practically growled.

Damon's brow furrowed. "Elijah?"

"Old friend."

He nodded slightly. "That's nothing new, Lena, she's been after me for years. Why you so pissed about Elijah?"

"Because. After you left we got close." Damon's eyebrows mashed together. "Not us close, but normal close." she elbowed him giggling.

"This is the guy who introduced you to Klaus right? And you are still _friends_?" Damon exclaimed incredulously.

"Not the point."

"Then what is the point? That guy introduced you to the guy who is abusing you. Speaking off. Get your ass down to the police station."

There was no point arguing. His voice was hard and his eyes determined.

"But-"

"Now."

* * *

"How can I help you miss?"

He wanted to yell at her. She was hesitating. She was fucking _hesitating._

"Her boyfriend is abusing her."

The glare she shot him could have killed but he didn't care how pissed she was. That was one problem he didn't have – he would piss her off for the rest of her fucking life if it would help her get out of this mess.

"Miss. Is this true?"

"Fuck you, Damon." He shrugged.

"Miss?"

"Yes, it's true."

"If you could follow me. Sir, if you'd wait there."

One last death glare and she was out the door, being led away by the clerk. Some part inside of him registered that she'd been here before. And it had gotten her no where good.

* * *

"Why are you still here?" His head snapped up to see a very angry – very sexy – Elena glaring at him.

"Sorry for caring." She glared at him.

Shit. She really was mad at him. He'd never seen such anger in her gaze.

"You don't get it, Damon. I _have _to press charges. _Again. _You _know_ what happened last time. Why couldn't you just leave it Damon? Why do you never listen to what I want?"

His heart froze. He'd never got the details of last time she'd pressed charges.

"What-what happened last time?"

Her face paled but her jaw clenched. "He pushed me downstairs."

"He what!" He exploded. That bastard pushed her downstairs? Holy fuck.

He paused in his mental tirade and looked at her. Really looked at her. She was pale and had dark shadows under her eyes. Her eyes weren't as bright and full of life as they once had been. It was like her was draining the very life out of her. He felt as if everything he'd come back for, everything that had kept him going for the past four years was teetering on the rocks – about to be torn away from him.

"Can you just leave it, Damon? Please. I'll call you tonight."

Again he cursed himself for never pushing her. He'd been pushed his whole life – by his mother; his father. He wouldn't push her.

"Sure."

He hesitated before wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. He didn't know what they were to each other but they were something _more. _And he sure as hell wasn't going to lose her anytime soon.

"Promise me you won't go back to yours." She snorted. "I know. Stupid question. Call em later." He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and let her go. Hell, why was he letting her go again? Yeah, yeah, free choice. Whatever.

"Bye Damon."

* * *

She walked quickly down the street in an attempt to fight off the cold.

She just wanted to get to Caroline's, tell her everything and curl up in a ball with a book. Or have a good bitch about Katherine.

She was only a couple blocks away. She felt strangely on edge. What was up with that?

"Hello, darling." a slick British accent came from somewhere behind her.

A million possible scenarios flashed through her mind. Shit.

* * *

_A/N: I'm annoyed by how short this is but I'm lacking creative juices with an urge to write more for this story. Have I completely wrecked it? Please tell me what you think. Thanks._

_-E x_


	7. Bruises And Thank Yous

"Where have you been, Elena?"

She stood firm. No way was she caving. She was stronger than this. She could do this.

He edged closer so he was standing right in front of her, smiling wickedly. He fisted a hand in her hair and tugged so she was tilted backwards, staring at him with defiant eyes.

"Where have you been?" he snarled.

"Since when do you care?" She managed to spit out.

She struggled not to cry out in pain as he tugged her hair harder and manipulated her body into unnatural positions.

"Since you were kissing another guy on the doorstep, Elena. That's when I started caring." He glared at her and loosened his grip enough so she could slip out of his grasp and start sprinting full speed to the safety of Caroline's street. Then she could scream. She wouldn't be so helpless.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her back. Klaus laughed maliciously.

She cried out, praying for someone – anyone to hear her.

"I wouldn't be so pissed, Elena. But you went to the police?" he shoved her hard against the ground and dropped to one knee beside her holding her down.

She clawed and kicked and screamed but it wasn't working. No one was coming to help her and he wasn't giving up.

"Didn't you learn anything last time?" He smirked as his fist connected with her cheek making her head spin as it hit off the concrete pavement.

Rage rose up inside her. She wasn't heplless. Her best friend had been a _guy. _She'd learnt to hold her own against someone stronger. She was suddenly thankful for all the times Damon had made them fight. She could throw a punch – but not pinned to the ground.

She kicked wildly and frantically, a silent hope rising up inside of her as he rolled back in pain. She didn't look back, she tore off down the street in opposite direction, hoping with all her heart he wouldn't be fast enough to catch her.

Her heart was pounding so hard she expected it to beat right out of her chest.

An arm grabbed her from behind and spun her round so she was pinned against a wall. She didn't look to see who it was.

She felt a hand over her mouth and a voice whisper. "Hey, hey. Shut up! Quit screaming or whoever it was will find you. Shut up!"

She let her survival instincts kick in and began thrashing wildly, before she felt her fist connect with soft flesh and a low groan of pain.

"Jesus Christ. Where d'you learn to throw a punch like that?"

Relief washed over her as she took in the man before her – who was currently massaging his jaw and looking at her with a sense of respect.

She sank back against the wall and took in her surrounding. A dark alleyway cutting between rows of houses. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to control her breathing.

The man crouched in front of her and cupped the side of her neck reassuringly. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone and she winced at the contact.

"You've got a bruise there." and the traced his fingers gently down the other side of her face across her temple and down her jaw line. "And it's bruised and cut along here. And your lip is burst."

He suddenly squinted at her, as if he knew her. Realisation spread across his face. "Elena?"

She didn't say anything – she couldn't say anything. Who was he? How did he know her?

"Are you okay?" he looked concerned, his voice soft and soothing. She shook her head numbly. He looked as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

In the end, he slung his arm around her back and helped her up slowly. A wave of nausea washed over her and she stumbled, her face paling dramatically.

"He better not have done this to you." he said to himself more than her as he led her towards the car, typing out a message on his phone one-handedly which in itself, it's pretty skilled considering he was holding her up with the other. She battled with the dizziness as she fought to stay conscious. No way was she passing out in some stranger's car – even if he did know her name.

She lost.

* * *

He sat in his room staring at his phone. She'd left the police station at three. It was now almost ten. Paranoia settled in.

If something had happened to her... He cursed and began pacing. If Klaus had caught up to her somehow. He groaned and glanced at his phone. 22.03. How could time pass so quickly yet so slowly as the same time.

His phone chimed with a text message and his heart leapt from his chest.

_New Message (19:17): You have some fucking explaining to do, Salvatore. _

Ric? Ric was in town? So he was okay? He wasn't brain damaged? One person he cared about safe, two more left to find. He sighed, at least he knew Elena was somewhere in Mystic Falls – Kol could be anywhere. He ground his teeth together. Kol was just a kid. He was barely nineteen.

His phone chimed again, this time a phone call.

"Ric?" So he was back in town? What did he have to explain.

"_What were you doing tonight?" _

Siting here, worrying my ass off about a girl who isn't even my girlfriend.

"What?"

"_Damon. What were you doing tonight? Around seven." _He'd been sitting here since five o'clock. He felt a sliver of worry pierce him. What had happened?

"I was here, at the house. What's wrong?"

"_Holy shit, Salvatore."_ He could almost picture Ric on the verge of punching a wall.

"_I can't tell you on the phone. Promise me you won't punch my lights out when I get to yours?"_

His voice sounded sincere and worried. The first thing that crossed his mind was Elena but Ric didn't know Elena. This would be something else. It had to be.

"Cross my heart. Etcetera. What ever it is Ric, you better get here and start explaining soon."

He heard faint voices and machines beeping in the background. _"Gotta go." _

He heard the phone click with a sudden finality. He hoped to god it wasn't something else going to go wrong with his day.

* * *

She blinked blearily to see a fuzzy outline standing casually against the window. She blinked to clear her vision before being greeted by the image off the man who had essentially saved her.

She squinted. He looked oddly familiar. "Do I know you?"

He chuckled dryly. "Saved your ass early, remember?"

She laughed softly, glad it didn't hurt too much. "Thank you."

"I'm kidding. I'm guessing Damon showed you a picture?"

Click. Lightbulb. God, she was slow today.

"Alaric?" He cringed.

"Don't called me _'Alaric'" _he actually shuddered. "Ric." He held out his hand and she took it and used it to help swing herself upright into a standing position. She swayed lightly but otherwise wasn't too dizzy.

"Elena." she said by way of introduction. He cracked a smile.

"I know. Damon Salvatore's best friend." She grinned. She really did like this man. She swung her arms around his neck and hugged hight tight.

"Thank you." She whispered softly. It wasn't seductive or flirtatious. It was sincere. She was truly thankful he had been there. The right place at the right time.

"You're welcome." He whispered back.

"So how come you and my army drinking buddy are just friends?" He asked once they had separated.

She sighed. She didn't even know herself.

"I don't know. We're not completely just friends but we're not anything more just yet either."

He rose an eyebrow which reminded her so much of Damon she almost forgot who she was with and smacked him.

"Miss Gilbert? We'd like to ask you some questions. You too, sir." A police officer entered the room holding a notebook. This time Klaus might actually get sent down.

She glanced at Ric and sat down on one of the chairs, glad she obviously hadn't been out long enough for them to change her into the hideous hospital gowns. She was still dressed in her own jeans and top.

"You went to the station today and reported domestic abuse, correct?" she nodded in agreement, noticing how Ric's jaw tensed.

"And that is the second time this has happened?" She nodded again. Why couldn't they get to the real questions instead of telling her what she already knew.

"What happened tonight, miss?" the younger police officer spoke. She looked pleadingly at Ric, who sighed and began talking.

"I can tell you that." they turned their attention immediately to him. "Basically, I was walking to a friend of mine's house when I heard screaming. Don't give me that look." he directed scathingly at the older officer. He rolled his eyes and continued.

"I don't know what happened but I saw her run off down the street and there was a man chasing after her. He caught up with her and shoved her to the ground and punched her in the face. She somehow managed to get him off her and she ran again. She happened to pass by where I was standing so I grabbed her and pulled her into the alleyway."

He shrugged.

"Is that true, miss?" she nodded. Did they think Ric had lied or something? She groaned.

"I was walking to my friends house too and was only a couple blocks away when Klaus appeared out of nowhere. I'll tell you. If he hadn't grabbed me I don't know what Klaus would have done."

"One last question for you sir. What did the man look like?" he frowned.

"I only saw him vaguely. Medium height, medium width. Sandy brown hair with a beard. British accent from what I heard."

"Thank you. Both of you." And the left.

She shook her head as they walked out the door.

"Elena?"

She turned round to answer him.

"I haven't told Damon."

She sighed. "That's for the best, he would have been down here in minutes if he knew. Can I go home?"

He nodded and informed her they had told him she could leave when she woke up. She smiled brightly at him.

"I need to head up to Damon's, assuming you'll be coming?" she smirked and nodded. She could see why Damon had befriended him.

"Good. You can drive." he winked at her and chucked her the keys.

* * *

His eyes snapped open as he heard the familiar roar of a truck pull into the driveway. He glanced at the time. 00.01. Great. A new day and she wasn't back. She probably would have gone to Caroline's but _still._ She hadn't called._  
_

The doorbell rung shrilly and he raced down to answer it.

He wrenched open the door to see Elena standing there, barely recognisable underneath layers of bruising and Ric leaning casually against the door frame.

He grabbed Elena and pulled her into his arms, vowing to never let go.

"What happened, Elena? I'm going to _murder _Klaus." She groaned into his shoulder.

"You don't want to know."

He glared at her, almost smiling when she pouted innocently. He prodded her in the stomach as he released her from his grip.

A wide smile spread over his face as he took in his friend. He hugged him like a brother, glad he seemed unharmed.

"Ricky boy!" He was so glad to see his friend, alive and breathing.

"You promised not to punch me." was all he said as a greeting. He smirked and held up his hands in surrender.

"I won't if you explain. Right now." He pointed into the parlour and quickly poured two glasses of bourbon.

"Bourbon! I love you, man!" Ric roared as he grabbed the drink.

Elena laughed softly and smiled at him. His jaw clenched. She was stunning even with her gorgeous eyes surrounded by bruises.

He sank into the sofa beside her and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and kissing her hair.

Ric rose an eyebrow and winked ever so slightly at him. He glared, giving Ric some clear 'later' signals.

"Where d'you get that bruise, Ricky? Looks nasty." with that both his guests burst out laughing. He sensed he was missing something. If they didn't start explaining soon he was going to go _insane._

* * *

He sat dumfounded with his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Ric.

"If you hadn't been there."

Ric shook his head. "But I was."

He groaned. He did so not want to get into this. "But _if. If _you hadn't been there-"

"But he was!" Elena was cutting him off this time, with her small hand pressed over his mouth to stop him talking.

He wrapped his arms around the small, battered girl who through everything still managed to laugh the loudest and have the brightest eyes and the prettiest smile.

As she nestled into his arms and he raised his gaze to Ric who was looking at him with a bemused expression on his face.

"Just friends?" He mouthed him.

"God, I hope not." he mouthed back while Ric chuckled. "Thank you." he added quietly. Ric had been there to save his girl when he hadn't been able to. He would never have forgiven himself if she'd been hurt anymore.

Elena drew back slightly. "I sense whispered conversations." She threw a glance at Ric who smirked slyly at her. He was sure he saw her wink before her beautiful eyes drew him back in.

She pressed a kiss lightly to his cheek and hovered there for a moment.

"Teaser." he murmured under his breath.

"And don't you forget it." she whispered in his ear.

She swung herself off the sofa and flung her arms around Ric. A slight tinge of jealously ran through him. He smiled and shoved her over to Damon.

She devilishly wound her fingers through his and led him upstairs, calling over her shoulder. "Night Ric!"

"Yeah, night." He mumbled slightly too late.

She paused outside his door and winked before kissing him softly. He smiled against her lips and made to pull her inside was she pulled back with a wicked grin on her face.

"Goodnight, Damon." she whispered sweetly before turning around and making to walk for one of the guest bedrooms.

Oh no you don't. You don't get to walk away after that.

He flung his arms around her waist and pulled her backwards into his room and crashing them onto his bed, leaving them tangled in a mess of arms and legs.

The door shut softly – it had always been great, it always swung shut eventually.

She curled into his side and buried her face in his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, being careful not to squeeze her back. The old bruise still remained.

"Night, Lay."

* * *

_I don't think I can last until the season comes on. Share the love guys - you like?_

_And you silent readers - please review, I need i_nspiration_. (Emotional Blackmail, anyone?)_

_-Eilidh x_


	8. Captured Attentions and Bails

Damon woke up to the shrill ringing of a phone somewhere.

"No... Turn it off." Elena mumbled into the pillow – yet more evidence of her inability to comprehend functioning in the morning.

He rolled out of bed to grab his phone and couldn't resist tickling Elena's ribs so she squealed and shot bolt upright.

"Damon!" she roared. She looked gorgeous, even with messy hair and sleepy eyes.

He pressed a finger to his lips and answered the phone, which had begun ringing for the second time.

"Hello?" his face tensed and his eyebrows clenched together.

"She's asleep." Damon saw Elena's mouth open slightly as if she was going to say something but he silenced her with a look.

He listened for a period of time. The man on the phone going over unnecessary details of the trial.

He lay back on the bed softly and began tracing soft patterns over her bare hipbone. Elena stretched a kissed his chest gently and rested her head on his shoulder.

His face hardened, "What do you mean they've already had the trial?" he shot out venomously. He locked eyes with Elena and unspoken conversations flew between them.

He couldn't have this conversation lying down, he stood up on leant against the door tapping at his in what must have been a very annoying way.

Suddenly, a wide smile appeared on his face. "Okay. Thank you, ma'am." he said before he heard the click signifying the end of the phone call.

He grabbed Elena from behind a swirled her round and round causing her to scream loudly and start laughing uncontrollably at the same time.

She wriggled out of his grasp and darted away, before crashing onto the bed looking far too good for just waking up.

He collapsed down beside her and kissed her lips.

He rolled on top of her and pressed her forehead against his.

"He's going to jail, 'Lena. He can't afford to pay his bail and he's pleading guilty. It's over, 'Lens, it's over." Damon's eyes lit up at a beautiful smile slid onto her face.

"Really?" her voice was so bright with hope it made his heart hurt.

He nodded and kiss her forehead. She shook her head and gave him that look that made his heart stop and brought his lips to meet hers and met him with passion, lust and happiness.

He pressed kisses down her cheek bone to the hollow of her throat and back to her lips, his hand working down her sides until they reached the hem of her top.

"Take it off." she grunted against his lips as her hands slipped under his shirt to feel the hard muscles of his chest and back.

"You first." he whispered seductively.

She moaned and ripped his shirt over his head and chucked it to the floor where hers quickly joined it.

She broke away from his lips and kissed down his throat and across his chest.

He rested his head into the crook of her shoulder, bracing the weight of his body against the mattress. He tugged her head back to meet his and battled with her tongue for control.

"Well this is awkward."

Elena screamed and flipped Ric off while Damon groaned and buried his face in her hair.

"Morning All." Ric said with a sly grin.

"I hate you, you know that right?" Damon said jokingly, but he was pissed at what Ric had interrupted.

Every single time he got close to Elena someone interrupted. He smiled ruefully at a memory that resurfaced, bitter about the circumstances that had followed that night.

* * *

"_Elena! It's summer. We're going swimming!" He appeared at her bedroom wearing trunks, a simple v-neck white tee, aviators and a straw trilby for some unknown reason. and demanded she came swimming with him._

_She had winked at him and grabbed a bikini from her drawer giving him a teasing flash of colour before slipping into the bathroom._

_He crashed out onto her bed while she was getting changed and thought. He was practically drooling over this girl. He would say he liked her, he liked her a lot. She knew whim better than he knew himself. She had to know. She had to. He was going to kiss her. Really kiss her. Finally. _

_It had been thirteen years since they had met and he was nineteen; her seventeen and he had liked her for god knows how long. Probably since he as about fifteen, probably earlier. He cursed himself. Why did she have to be so prefect?_

_He would chuck her into the water or something then swim up... say something 'cute' as she would say then he would kiss her. He would finally kiss Elena Gilbert. _

"_Let's go!" Elena ran out the bathroom and grabbed her purse and his hand at the same time and pulling him out the door._

"_I'm driving." _

"_No." He argued adamantly. She was an agonizingly slow driver, it had driven him to the point of walking on several occasions._

"_But I want to go to your lake house."_

"_Then I'll drive us there."_

_She pouted adorably. "I wanna drive." He blew her a kiss and winked at her._

"_Fine. But I'm driving back in the morning."_

_Morning? They were staying the night? God, this girl would be the death of him. He sometimes thought she felt for him too but soon after she revealed any hint of more than friendship it would disappear and with it, another chance to tell her how he felt._

_They drove in companionable silence until he pulled up outside the familiar looking._

_She looked at him excitedly before charging out of the car and into the house. How she had a key he did not know, and didn't care. He wandered in after her and walked into the room he used as his and saw her bag lying on the bed._

_He heard a muffled splash of water and couldn't resist charging down to the pier._

"_You look hot in green." he said bluntly, indicating her lime green bikini that looked great against her olive skin. _

_She winked at him and swam back to the him and climbed onto the pier. _

"_You're saying I don't always look hot, Salvatore." she asked cheekily leaning closer._

"_Nope. But you look especially hot in that." he winked, delighted by the spark in her chocolate eyes._

"_No." she had that look on her face that said she was plotting something. "Don't even think about it, Lay."_

_She laughed mischievously as she flung her arms around his neck in an effort to cover him in water. He rose an eyebrow and she let go, pouting. _

"_Really? You gonna play that game, huh?" He ripped his shirt off and used Elena's distracted gaze against her and he swept her up into his arms. _

"_You wouldn't." _

_He winked at her. "Oh but I would." was all he said before he launched her into the water, laughing at her high pitched scream. _

_She waited until she resurfaced with a face like thunder before cannonballing right next to her causing her to capsize and splutter for air. _

_She splashed water in his face. He shook his air out his eyes and resisted the temptation to splash her back. _

_Instead he brushed her hair back from her face and looked into her eyes. The easy laughter faded as the mood changed from easy and carefree to something entirely different._

_He edged closer to her and placed his other hand on the side of her neck. They were so close. She wanted him to kiss her, he just knew it. He felt her hands go around his neck and wind in his hair at the same time his moved to hold her against him. Both his hands were wrapped around her waist and she was moving closer. She definitely wanted him to kiss her._

"_Hello again, Damon." Katherine's voice cut through the air like a knife, only they didn't jump or move away._

"_Brother; Elena." Stefan and Katherine? What the hell? Then it hit him. Katherine to make Elena jealous and Stefan to make him jealous. _

_He looked back to Elena's big brown eyes which were wide with annoyance. She pressed her lips to the very corner of his mouth and swam to the pier. _

_She swung herself out of the water, successfully capturing both of the brother's attention. Her olive skin was glistening in the evening sun and her dark hair was cascading down her back. Her long legs and flat stomach... In other words, you couldn't keep your eyes off of her._

* * *

He snapped out of the memory, remembering that Katherine was actually back in town.

"You never told me why you hate Katherine so much."

Ric rose an eyebrow. He didn't know who Katherine was, it had never been relevant to bring up.

"She's a bitch."

"A hot bitch. Great b-"

Elena's stony gaze cut him off before he could finish his sentence. He kissed her cheek. "Come on Lena, you know I'm kidding."

Silence. Better repair the damage.

"You're way hotter anyway." Elena's eyes softened slightly. He leant in a whispered sweetly in her ear, "Beautiful."

A smile appeared on her face and she relaxed against him. Her eyes hardened after a moment – Katherine still clearly on her mind.

"I was jealous. Don't pretend you didn't realise, Damon. You were always staring at her, and she _is _gorgeous. She was always flirting with you, and constantly coming on to you and you were always flirting back and when I was there..."

She trailed off and looked embarrassed. He couldn't help but laugh slightly. Elena thought he liked Katherine more than her? Elena thought she even had half a reason to be jealous?

"Don't laugh, you jerk!" She exclaimed giggling slightly.

"Come on, Lena, you have no reason to be jealous."

"Oh yeah?"

He kissed her then. Washing away her worry with his desire; his passion.

"Guys. Really."

They broke apart. Well, Elena pulled away form him. He had no problem what so ever making one of his closest friends feel incredibly awkward.

"Wait. That hot bitch was called Katherine?" He thankfully used air quotes around 'hot bitch'. Elena would skin him alive. She detested that girl with everything in her.

"Yes." was all Elena would give. Elena being jealous had knocked him off his stride. She must have felt something for him, even if she was in denial about it, before Katherine arrived.

"Red hair?"

Elena shot upright and glared at Ric. Damon felt scared for the guy. Angry Elena was scary. She could punch as he'd already discovered.

Ric held up his hands in defence. "Don't shoot the messenger. Some chick with red hair just showed up at the door with some guy called Elijah."

Elena instantly brightened. "Elijah's here?"

He couldn't help feel slightly jealous. Why was Elijah so important to her?

"Downstairs."

She raced downstairs without another word. She had simply grabbed Damon's hand and pulled him with her. He gladly followed.

"Oh hello Damon. Nice to see you again." He groaned as Katherine began her usual 'come on to Damon' routine.

"Katherine." he replied indifferently, while struggling not to feel jealous as Elena had just launched herself into Elijah's arms.

"I'll missed you!"

"I miss you too, my dear." My dear? What was this? London? He snorted.

"What happened to you?" Elijah traced her bruises carefully. He tensed inside as his fingers traced over her face delicately. His heart only relaxed when she moved backward – just a fraction but enough to put his mind at ease.

"Your brother happened." she said bitterly.

That asshole was this guy's _brother? _Then why the fuck was she so friendly with him. He glared at Elijah, instantly taking a dislike to him.

Elijah had instantly paled and his eyes were panicked.

"It was you." It wasn't a question but Elena nodded slowly.

He tried to fit the pieces together in his head. Klaus' brother was back in town and he knew vaguely why he had been in jail.

Suddenly the pieces slotted together around the same time they did for Elena. No. He didn't-

"I just paid his bail."

* * *

_A/N: I have no idea where I am going with this. Blah blah blah, this story is rambling on an intense scale. Is it working? Reviews would be awesome - I have found some serious writers block with this and my other ongoing story at the moment. Reviews would be much appreciated on both - they inspire me._

_-E _


	9. Bitches, Surprises and Heartbreaks

_A/N: I just have to say how truly sorry I haven't uploaded _anything _in such a long time! I don't have any valid excuse except from writer's block with those of you that are writers know how much of a bitch it can be. This isn't the best chapter, or the worst but even through my block I have been trying to write, so this is the product. It's not great. I'm honestly begging you guys, any idea, prompts, requests, share them! I love you guys, thanks for sticking with me. _

* * *

"You what!"

Damon shot a quick look as the outburst left Ric's mouth.

Elijah had sank down onto the sofa and even Katherine was looking vaguely shellshocked.

"Elijah, you never told me he was in for _abuse." _Katherine spat the words out venomously. "You paid your brother out of jail after he abused Elena?"

Elena glanced at Damon with a raised eyebrow.

"Katherine. You don't like her." Damon scoffed at her attempt to be nice or something...

She shrugged. "Doesn't mean I want some guy he-" she broke off to point at Elijah accusingly. "-just bailed about abusing her!" she rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot."

Elena laughed slightly. "Well thanks. Wouldn't want some guy doing it to you – no matter how much of a bitch you are."

Katherine smiled in a sickeningly sweet way. "Takes one to know one."

Elena groaned and collapsed next to Elijah on the sofa.

Damon smirked as he heard a voice mutter in his ear. "Bitch."

"I heard that." She shot out glaring at Ric.

"Takes one to know one." Elena echoed her earlier words sweetly.

Damon smirked and crashed next to Elena, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Elijah rose an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you?" Oooh, someone's protective. He rose and eyebrow.

"Damon Salvatore." He made no offer to extend his hand and it was probably a wise choice because as soon as the first word was out his mouth Elijah's face hardened. He looked like he was carved out of stone.

Elijah stood swiftly before he grabbed Elena's arm tightly enough to add bruises to the ones already existing and pulled her to her feet. He instantly moved forward towards Elijah. She wrenched her arm out of Elijah's grasp with a disgusted look on her face.

"What the fuck, man?" Ric was now pissed. Ric pissed was never good. "Did you honestly just fucking do that?"

Elena shot one glare at Elijah, the look in her eyes unreadable. "Get out." Her voice shook ever so slightly on the last word.

"Elena. What about all the times you cried over him? Every time you were hurting it was because of _him!"_

Damon froze, the harsh reality of the words settling in on him. It was true. He had upped and left without any warning.

"If you ever hurt her again, you will have me to answer to." said Elijah seriously, stepping up so he was nearly chest to chest with Damon.

"If you ever touch her again, you will fucking regret it."

He left, shooting Elena an apologetic look with Katherine following swiftly behind with a whispered, "Idiot."

Damon sank into the sofa rubbed his face with his hand, leaving in wrapped around his chin.

"How badly did I hurt you, Elena?" He didn't want to know the answer, he didn't want to know how much he'd been hurting and what she'd had to go through while he'd been gone.

"A lot. It was worse after my mum-" she froze, her eyes wide but he had heard.

"What happened?" he asked slightly panicked. Miranda and Grayson had been great to him, they had treated him like a son.

She took a deep breath before resting her head on his shoulder. "My dad passed a year after you left." His stomach dropped to his knees. Grayson was gone? He had been like a second father to him after his own had passed away when he was just a kid. She'd had to go through all of that alone? "My mum left. She's in L.A right now, she said she was gonna come visit soon."

She suddenly smiled brightly. "She'll be happy to know that your back, but more pissed than me that you left."

Her smile faded and her eyes glistened. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone, 'Lena."

"I know."

Two words. That's all she had to say. Just two words that let him know that four years hadn't changed anything.

She stood up quietly and kissed Damon softly. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Ric?" she spoke lightly as she edged into the room Ric was staying in. "Can you do me a favour?"

Ric rose an eyebrow. "Elena? What's up?"

"Can you cover for me while I go down to the station?"

Ric scoffed. "I hope you're kidding. Remember what happened last time you were out by yourself?"

"I know, I've called a cab, it's waiting around the corner. I promise I'll call someone to pick me up."

"Why can't you tell him?"

"Because he'll come with me." She said bluntly.

Ric's eyebrows always seemed to be raised when talking to her. "Sit." he pointed to his bed. "Now tell me."

She sat reluctantly, she knew she could trust him. "I'm not the kind of girl who sits and let's everyone take away her problems for her. I don't want to be the girl who makes her-" she broke of slightly confused of what to call Damon.

"Boyfriend." Ric supplied the word for her.

She shrugged. "Don't wanna be the girl who makes her boyfriend do everything for her. I know I can't do everything by myself, but I don't need to be treated like glass."

Ric cracked a smile. "You're strong Elena. I like you, but don't forget we are willing to fight for you. And when I say 'we' I include myself in that. Damon told me about you in the years we were out there. You mean more to him than you know."

"And I thought you weren't good with words."

He smirked. "I have my moments. I owe Damon my life, Elena. He saved me-"

"What?" she asked slightly panicked. Had he been hurt?

"It'll come up eventually. I won't tell him you've gone unless he asks. So you better go, you have about ten minutes before he comes up here."

She hugged him lightly. "Thanks Ric!" before rushing out of the door.

* * *

"Ric?" Damon yelled through the house.

"Yeah?" Came the answering shout from upstairs followed by footsteps and finally Ric appearing in the den. "What's up, man?"

"You-" he was about to ask about Elena when Ric's voice cut through him.

"Don't ask."

He frowned. So Ric knew something? Hell, he was normally smart, he'd always led the raids when Damon's cunning tactics weren't needed as much as Ric's reliable strategy was.

"Don't man. I promise you, if something happens you can kill me."

"Fucking hell Ric!" He couldn't ask, he knew Ric wouldn't tell him.

Damon glared at him until the doorbell rang. "We're not finished." he growled before stalking off.

He opened the door to see a blur of coppery hair and angry eyes. "Holy shit." He knew exactly were he had last heard about her.

"Damon fucking Salvatore. You ass! You can't just _leave _town and leave Elena in such a wreck she ends up with _Klaus _and then just come back as if nothing happened! Then, when Grayson passed we couldn't reach the one person who could actually _help-_"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Jenna. Jenna. Calm. Before you go crazy at me leaving I have something to tell you."

Her eyes narrowed. "If it is anything bad, I swear Elena will not be happy when I skin you alive."

He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door softly behind him.

"You know Alaric Saltzman right?"

A gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened and sparkled with something that looked like hope.

"I did." her voice shook. "A long time ago."

"I knew you looked familiar!" the words escaped his lips before he could stop them.

"What do you mean? Damon, you've known me for years, you idiot. Do you know him? _Is he okay?"_ Jenna's voice came out in little bursts.

Just at that moment the door swung open revealing his best friend.

"Who is-" he stopped and gaped at the woman standing in the doorway who had a hand over her mouth that was shaking uncontrollably. "Jenna?"

"Ric!"

He watched amused as Elena's aunt launched herself at Ric and as he twirled her round like a kid. He had never really thought of Jenna as an 'aunt' she was more like a friend or a big sister to Elena. She wasn't much older than the both of them.

In their long conversations at night and there short ones in the calm before a raid they would talk about _them. _The people they were fighting for. The people they were giving up everything to protect. Ric had put himself in danger to protect him and he... he cared too much about his friend to let him even risk the chance at a normal life that he had put him self in the line of fire and damn near died. He had never regretted it but the look of their faces as they revelled in the other's company truly made everything worth it.

Suddenly, he felt like an intruder. He knew to some extent how amazing it was to be back with the person you loved most after four years. He wouldn't have wanted an audience for when he had gone to Elena's.

He slipped quietly out of the house to find her he wasn't completely worried but there was always a raw anxiety that had settled in his stomach since her had found out about Klaus.

He headed over to his car, a vague sense of unease prickling at his consciousness. He kept his pace steady. Damon Salvatore did not run just because he thought there was something there.

A crunch of gravel alerted his attention and he spun around to confront whoever it was before a searing pain pierced his stomach and a sharp hiss of pain escaped his lips.

"Klaus." he managed to growl before his vision blurred around the edges and the pain took him over the edge.

* * *

Elena arrived at the boarding house eager to curl up in front of the fire and finally relax. She would have to deal with Damon's pissed off mood that she left but she could deal.

She creaked open the door to find darkness. She frowned slightly as she flipped on the light. It was as if they were just upstairs. There was a glass of bourbon that was still mostly full and one that had been dropped to the ground.

A slight sense of anxiety woke inside of her. She fished around for her phone and hit her speed dial, praying to hear Damon's voice.

"_If you're calling me I assume you know who I am. I'm either busy or ignoring you. Beep."_

She cursed inwardly at his stupid voicemail before finding Ric's number in Damon's old phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Elena. Where is everyone?"

The silence at the other end didn't do much to ease her worry.

"Just come to the hospital, Elena. Okay?"

She couldn't reply. She didn't want to. She raced out the door and into Damon's car, silently wishing he was there to yell at her for taking it. He had always said she would 'wreck it'

She flashed about a dozen speed cameras as she raced through the streets. She didn't know what the hell had happened but Damon always answered her calls. Always. And now he wasn't.

Words came tumbling from her lips as a desperate mantra. "Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay."

* * *

_A/n: Well, now you've read it did it totally suck? If it did, i'm more than happy to change/edit/delete but hell, I re-wrote this chapter so many times. Again, any prompts at all any people you want introduced, leave a review._

_I hate writer's block, it can drop dead. _

_Now, to anyone reading 'Brown Eyes': I am a million times more sorry because I absolutely love that story and I can't seem to find any inspiration for it. Every time I sit down to write something completely irrelevant distracts me! I blame the sorry excuse for a 'summer' Im having at the moment. Rain does not help much. _


	10. Not Without Me

Elena charged into the hospital at full speed, racing towards the reception. The sound of machines and the deafening silence washing over her.

"Do you need help, miss?" Elena backtracked for a second.

"What? Me?" The receptionist nodded uncertainly and gestured to her face which was still a mess of bruises.

"Damon Salvatore. Which room is he in?"

"Are you family?" She glared at the receptionist. She was way too happy and bubbly.

"Girlfriend." she rushed out panicked. She needed to see him, they didn't know she wasn't _exactly_ a girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Salvatore is family-"

She shot death glares at the bubbly girl. "He's the only family I have left."

The receptionist's eyes softened. "You can't see him. He's critical-"

"What?" Elena yelled.

"You can wait with his family." Elena didn't even pause to say thank you, even though the girl may have risked her job to help her. She rushed off in the direction the girl had pointed.

She skidded around a corner to see Ric huddled on the waiting chair with his head in his hands. She crouched in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. Strong arms held her tightly but they were not the arms she needed to feel.

"What happened Ric?" her voice shook with tears that had threatened to fall since Ric had called her.

"He was stabbed in the stomach."Elena sank to the floor, her blood pounding in her ears. Not even finding the strength to sit on a seat. "Elena." Came a voice from beside her.

She laid her head on his shoulder. "He saved my life you know."

She didn't say anything, silently waiting for Ric to continue.

* * *

"_Salvatore!" he yelled just before they moved in. Stupid Captain. Who leads a raid into uncharted territory at night? He groaned. _

"_Alright, man. We're going down tonight." _

_Damon's tone was light but his eyes held something different. The same look that had settled into both of them in the past couple weeks. Haunted gazes, a unaccounted for fear. Not of dying, but of being sent into the unknown where there was more than just you at risk. There was the whole squad. Him, Damon, Kol. Hell, Kol was eighteen. He had recently enlisted. He was too young to be sent down by some idiot's commands._

_.._

"_Get down! Get down you fucking idiots!" He heard Damon yelling from the cover of the wall. The guy was smart but dumb as hell at the same time. Captain gave orders, you followed the orders even to your death._

"_Move in!" He heard Damon curse and charge up to the captain. _

"_Sir. Are you a fucking idiot? Do you want to lose everyone?" Damon managed an extravagant eye roll. _

"_It's necessary. We make sacrifices. Now move in!" Ric caught a glance of Damon. He knew Damon was better suited to Captain than Captain Miller but as only a Lieutenant, he had to follow orders. _

"_No. Do you want everyone to lose there fucking lives because of your half-assed planning?"_

_Gun shots erupted into the night, quickly followed by muffled explosions and orders yelled into the night._

_The shooting was a blur. There company moved in, and nearly half was taken down within minutes. _

"_Fuck you, Captain." Damon's cursing was followed by the echo of the men. They followed Damon, he was respected even if his strategies were risky they made it out. Every time. All of them. _

"_Move back. MOVE BACK!" shouted Miller, as gunmen flooded in to the half destroyed warehouse. _

_Ric glanced around. There was no way he could back it to the door. His heart was beating loudly in his ears but it wasn't until he saw the young boy next to him's haunted face that he truly let the fear overwhelm him. _

_He felt strong arms grab him by the collar and hurl him back under a beam – leaving him a path straight to the exit. He saw Damon go down at the same time gunshots rang through the air. _

_Silence went up through the soldiers as they saw him fall. The gunmen moved out, leaving everyone for dead or dying._

_He'd possibly given up his life for him – for Kol. If Damon made it through this, he'd be fucking in his debt. _

_He hoped to fucking god he would be okay._

* * *

Ric laid his head back against the wall. They hadn't moved from the wall but now Elena sat silently, tears tracking down her cheeks.

"He's a fighter, Elena. Three gunshots. One to the back, one to the chest and one to the stomach. He's _alive_, Elena."

She didn't know how long they sat there before Jenna came back. Her eyes darting between Ric and the arm that was wrapped tightly around Elena.

She crouched down and stroked Elena's hair, her motherly instincts kicking in for her twenty-two year old niece, only six years younger than herself.

Elena managed a soft smile "Hey Jenna. This is Ric. He's a friend of mine." Jenna rose an eyebrow.

"You never told her?" Jenna asked curiously.

"We only met a couple days ago, it didn't exactly come up." Ric shrugged apologetically as he squeezed Elena's shoulder.

"You know each other?" she asked slightly confused.

Jenna smiled and kissed Ric's cheek. She saw Ric smile more than she'd ever seen in the short time she'd known him.

"Remember, a few months before Damon left I finally got together with my best friend when he suddenly disappeared, to go risk his life in the _army_?"

Elena cracked a wide smile. "This was the asshole who practically broke my heart."

"Ric, I shouldn't be friends with you – I know everything." she winking cheekily. "You don't know how many times me and Jenna sat up and bitched about you and Damon. "

At Damon's name the smile slid off of her face and was replaced with an unreachable sadness.

Jenna helped pull Elena to her feet and sat her on one of the seats. "The doctor's in there with Stefan, I dunno if he'll tell-"

"Elena!" She almost laughed inside at his perfect timing as Stefan rounded the corner followed swiftly by a tall doctor.

"You can tell them everything you just told me."

The doctor sighed. "It isn't appropriate."

"That girl there is more family to him than I ever was. She has more of a right than anyone to hear what you said."

"Mr. Salvatore is _incredibly _lucky-" Elena breathed out a breath at last. "but he is not yet stable. He is still in critical condition in our IC unit and we are certain the blade missed all vital organs and he has been given clotting agents to stem the bleeding. Although, he is breathing on his own it causes him pain so he is not breathing deeply enough after the surgery – which went with no problems – so I put him into a drug-induced coma to allow his body to heal. We will know the full extent and any lasting damage when he wakes up which could be anywhere between an hour and a full day. Fortunately, Mr. Salvatore is in excellent health and his body seems to be well equipped to abdominal trauma."

"I understand this is hard, but you have to understand just how fortunate you are that he is still with us. A few centimetres in any direction and any vital organ could have been pierced."

"Thank you." Elena whispered softly, not really to the doctor but to anyone who may be listening, to anyone who had saved him.

Dr. Fell, as it said on her badge, shot her a warm look. "You can sit with him. But I mean it, no more than two. Okay? There's a button which will call a nurse, who will call me immediately."

Elena stood shakily and started towards the direction Stefan had arrived from. She hadn't wanted to ask anyone for anything, not even for them to come. She felt a warm grip in her hand and saw Ric smiling sadly at her.

"You're not going in there without me."

* * *

_A/N: Recently watched 'Saving Private Ryan' and those who have seen is that Miller is a strong, determined and smart captain- but i needed a name. It's a great film, WATCH IT. _


	11. Drugs And Pain Meds

"_'Lena! Are you okay?" Damon's panicked voice came from somewhere in the distance as she lay crumpled on the ground._

_She grunted in response. "You're an idiot." Damon had gotten over his original panic and was now convulsing in laughter lying next to her._

_She managed to smack him on the chest which only made him laugh harder._

"_I told you so 'Lens! What kind of fourteen year old girl climbs trees?" _

_She growled. "The kind that has you around _all the time_! You bet me I couldn't! I had to!" _

_Damon snorted and wrapped his arms around her. "Idiot. I can't believe you fell out a _tree_. You are _so_ talented, Lay." He scoffed, she buried her face in your hands and snorted disbelievingly._

_Even she had to laugh now. "I know. God. Is it pointless to ask you not to tell anyone? And forget it ever happened?"_

_He rose an eyebrow. "You kidding? I'm telling _everyone_! I'll _never _let you forget this, gorgeous."_

_She buried her face in his neck to hide her blush – yes, he was her best friend but he was gorgeous, sixteen and seemed to be enjoying throwing compliments at her recently – and laughed softly. His laughter died away and he began stroking her hair softly._

"_I'm glad you're okay. I don't know what I'd do without you." _

_She smiled into his hair and pulled him into a hug. "I won't leave you, you're stuck with me."_

"_I know I am. And I promise I won't leave you, ever." _

_He smiled and tentatively kissed her hair before cracking a wide smile and sticking his little finger in her face. "Forever?"_

_She burst out laughing. "You're such a girl, Damon!" she nudged him with her shoulder before linking her little finger through his. _

"_Forever."_

…

* * *

_..._

_They were sitting on the roof of the Boarding House staring at the stars the night before Elena's eighteenth birthday. _

_She felt his arm wrap around her and pull her between his legs so his chest was pressed against her back and his chin was resting on her shoulder._

_Somewhere below them a clock chimed midnight. She grinned widely. _Finally.

"_I can't believe you're eighteen! Little Lena all grown up." He whispered in her ear sounding just a little bit sad. _

"_You can't talk. You're twenty. You're gonna have to leave and start your life. Big cities, pretty girls." She leant her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It was true. Damon had recently turned twenty, he would have to leave and start his career. He needed to get a job, he needed to transfer to a better college. _

"_You know I'd never leave you, Lay. Not really. Forever, remember?" He said softly, his lips touching her cheek in a whisper of a kiss. _

"_No matter how far away you are, we'll _always _be forever." Her eyes were still closed so she didn't see the sadness clouding his like a storm. _

_His arms wrapped even tighter around her, as if he was never going to let go._

_God, she hoped he wouldn't leave. For fourteen years, she'd seen him every day – whether she wanted to or not. They fought like cavemen, and hurled abuse like they hated each other but hell, everyone could see how she felt about him. _

_Everyone except Damon that is. _

_She turned slowly so she was facing him and leant her forehead against his. She closed her eyes and smiled ever so slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved her head from his to his shoulder._

"_When you said you'd never leave me, did you mean it? You'll have to go to college, or I will."_

_Damon sighed and hugged her so tightly it was as if she might break. "I might not always be with you, but hell, I'll _always _be thinking about you." _

"_You say it like you're gonna leave." Damon laughed, she didn't realise until later how forced it had sounded._

"_I'll love you forever, Lena." He smiled and kissed her cheek. _

"_I love you too, Damon." She said, smiling forcefully. It was close to how she really felt but never close enough._

* * *

She traced gentle circles on the back of his hand as he lay silently. Ric sat on the sofa against the wall whereas Elena had claimed the chair next to his bed.

She leaned forward and leant her forehead against his arm.

"Wake up." she whispered silently. She knew the doctor had said he was almost certain Damon would be fine but almost wasn't good enough.

Almost is just close enough to definitely for you to have hope before it's ripped away in a heartbeat.

The last time she'd been here she had sat in the same position, keeping her dad company as his life drained away.

She had wished for a miracle when there had been no hope. The doctors said there was such a slim chance of survival that she better say her goodbyes but yet, she still hoped.

Now, with such high rates of survival, hoping would only tear them away.

* * *

Ric sat silently. He didn't want to talk or listen, or scream or yell. He wanted to remember. Remembering all the times Damon had pulled through after an injury.

His own heart ached as he watched Elena. She had just got Damon back, just got him the way she needed him. He wondered if either of them knew how in love with each other they were. He knew Damon knew – he had told him he had been in love for years, most of his teenage years – but if Elena was anything like her aunt she would be in total denial, always insisting they were nothing more than friends. For God, or fate, or any other higher power to take him away from her – and from him – would be cruel. A chance at a life together gone before they could even live their own.

* * *

_Damon groaned in pain as he tried to sit up, cursing spectacularly as he felt the pain of the gunshots._

"_Wakey wakey sunshine." he smiling genuinely, glad his friend wasn't dead. Or brain damaged._

"_Fuck you." was Damon's dry response._

_Ric chuckled lightly, until Damon's laughter turned into groans of pain and incoherent cursing. Then he laughed, raucous, loud, full-bellied laughs. Damon flipped him off with his good hand and struggled to keep in the laughter._

"_You have no idea how fucking lucky you are, man." Damon's laughter faded, as if he had just realised he could be badly injured._

"_Three gunshots. Chest, back, stomach. You should be dead. You have a guardian angel somewhere." _

_Damon whistled softly through his teeth. _

_Ric cleared his throat. "Thank you, Damon. You saved mine and Kol's lives – and nearly lost your own."_

_Damon's powers of recovery bordered on miraculous as he now managed a wink and a shadow of his cocky smirk. "You have people to go back to. I couldn't live with myself if you had died and I knew I could have done something."_

_Ric rose an eyebrow. "And you don't have anyone? That's the most idiotic thing I've heard in a long time."_

"_It's been over two years, Ric. She'll either be pissed, or she'll be really pissed." _

"_And the day you walk through that door, 'cause you will. You seem to be immortal. The day you go back," Ric smiled. "Man, she'll be happy to see you." _

"_I've been in love with that girl since I was fourteen. Eight years, Ric. Eight fucking years."_

"_Then tell her."_

"_It's not that simple and you know it. Anything could happen, I could die, she could move on, move away. She might not even live in the same place!" _

"_Then you find her. Damon, you don't just give up." he smirked slyly. "Unless I have to tell the guys Damon Salvatore gives up-" he trailed off at the end._

"_I hate you, you know that right?"_

"_Yep." He smiled infuriatingly._

"_I love you man."_

_Ric chuckled softly. "Love you too, 'cept you're a little bipolar."_

_Damon attempted to shrug and hissed in pain. _

"_Get better." Ric said as he ducked under the door. "I'd fucking miss you if you didn't."_

* * *

They had finally fallen asleep, Elena leaning crouched over the bed and Ric collapsed on the couch.

Ric stirred first, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He glanced at the display and groaned before forcing himself up and out the door.

"Mm- yeah?" was all the caller got as an answer.

"You coming home?" Jenna's soft voice came from the other side of the line.

"You mean, am I coming home, and leaving Elena knowing I get my happily ever after and she might get hers torn away any second? Do you _think_ I'm coming home?"

He could practically see Jenna's angry scowl. "You're a dick were you're tired. Go get coffee, ass."

He managed a weak smile. "Sorr-" he broke off and yawned widely. "Sorry. We've not have a chance to explain everything but me and Elena..." he trailed off, unsure of how to explain their sudden friendship and how it came about. "-we need each other right now. I'll be home tomorrow."

Again, he expected a sharp answer, but Jenna had never been one to life up to the reputation of her fiery hair and her soft answer simply gave comfort.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Look after her." He hung up and yawned widely, deciding to pass on the coffee and crash out on the sofa again.

He edged into the room and saw Elena still hunched over. She was gonna be aching in the morning.

"Hey. Elena." he shook her gently until she lifted her head and glanced and the time.

"Ric? Hey." he pointed to the sofa smirking.

"Go sleep." she went without a fight and he took her place on the chair next to his bed.

Within minutes Elena's breathing levelled out as she dropped off to sleep.

"Come on, Damon. You gotta wake up. You've been through way worse than this. You got _shot! _Three times. Look, I know you're in bad shape an' all but after those shots? You were awake within the hour. That's why hospitals suck. They've got you all wired up of drugs and pain meds. You could cope without, it's not like you've not done it before."

He chucked lightly, it was true. Damon had been through worse than this. With that, he crashed out next to Elena and finally let sleep take him over.

* * *

_Yes. the ending of this chapter sucks. _


	12. Thank God For Coffee

Elena woke up with aching muscles after being curled up on a rock hard sofa all night.

She stretched painfully, accidentally kicking Ric in the face.

"Ow." he said dryly. "That is my face, Elena."

She laughed softly, but there was an ache in her chest. His mannerisms were so like Damon's sometimes. Ric yawned loudly before rolling off the sofa and pulling her up with him.

"Food?" he asked hopefully.

She smirked at him and made her way to the door. She glanced back at Damon and fought everything inside her that was telling her turn back and sit beside him and refuse to move until he woke up.

The second she stepped outside she was swept into such a tight hug it took her breath away. She hugged back instinctively, before waking up and smelling the scent of her childhood. She let a few tears finally leak out of her eyes as she buried her head into her mother's shoulder. She felt soft hands stroking her hair until the tears stopped falling and she finally managed to pull away.

"How did you know?" she asked confused.

"Don't be an idiot, my sister!" She laughed and wrapped her arms around Miranda. "I'm so sorry I left, Elena. I couldn't stay there – not in that house."

She didn't reply, she just nodded. Showing her mum that she understood. For once. She glanced over at Ric, who seemed slightly out of place seeing as Jenna didn't seem to be around.

"Mum, this is Ric. Ric, my mum." she said by way of introductions.

"Miranda." said her mum, smiling warmly.

Elena shrugged out of her mum's grasp and called over a nurse. "If he wakes up, make sure you get me immediately. Okay?"

The nurse didn't seem altogether too pleased about being told what to do but she agreed in the end. Clearly, she had more sense than to argue.

The three of them made their way to the little food area, stocked with coffee machines and vending machines selling snacks and drinks.

"Thank god for coffee." was the first thing that came out of her mouth as she grabbed a to-go cup.

"Tell me about it!" Miranda chimed in. "I was on a ten hour flight with some screaming baby sitting behind me the whole way."

"Don't even talk to me about coffee. I had a major coffee binge before I enlisted." Ric made a horrified face. "Never. Again."

Elena burst out laughing nearly spitting coffee all over him. How he was still functioning was beyond her.

"Excuse me Miss Gilbert?" Elena whipped around to see a police officer standing there. Shit. She'd forgotten the complications involved. Of course, they would question her and Ric, possibly Jenna.

"Yes?" The two young men nodded, they were the same officers who had questioned the two of them last time.. "And Alaric Saltzman and Jenna Sommers?" Miranda shook her head.

"No, I'm her sister, Miranda Gilbert."

The older man shook his head impatiently. "Officer-" Elena cut in smoothly. "If you want to question us it will have to wait. You know I want nothing more than that prick in prison but A, I wasn't even there – I only went back afterwards and that's when Ric called me and B, I'm sure as hell not leaving until he wakes up."

To her surprise the policemen chuckled softly. "You've got fire, girl. We already got previous statements last night when he was brought in but we need further questioning. Routine."

She smiled slightly and turned around to go back to the room where Damon was only to walk straight into the nurse from earlier.

"There you are." the women said rather snippily. "He's awake."

Other words were spoken but they didn't register. _He was awake_. She flashed a bright smile at Ric, who now seemed more at ease talking to the police and seemed to be filling Miranda in on, well, _everything_. She raced down the halls and into the room.

"Hey, beautiful." Damon's signature smirk was all over his ashen face.

She shook her head. "I can't believe you! You get stabbed and you're still just as full of yourself." she was smiling widely but she couldn't help the tears that were slowly tracking down her face.

Damon's smirk faltered and his face turned to bone as he attempted to sit up. He sat back, sighed in exasperation. She made her way over to the bed and curled up next to him, her tears shining through her smile.

He managed to reach a hand up and wipe them away. "Hey, what's up, Laylay?"

She resisted the extremely strong urge to smack him and buried her fair into his neck. "Don't call me Laylay!"

He turned his head so it was right by her ear. "Laylay!"

She burst out laughing and kissed his cheek softly. "So you're okay? And you're not like, brain damaged or anything?"

He pulled a face. "_Brain damaged? _I'm fine, 'Lena." this time he leaned in a pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Pinky swear."

She snorted. "Shame, you're awful sense of humour hasn't improved."

He scowled. "I have an amazing sense of humour!"

"-And you're massive ego-"

"-who can blame me-"

"-unprompted reason to believe you are god in human form-"

"-completely sexy-"

She laughed sweetly, her eyes dancing. She leant down to steal a kiss from him when the door swung open and a wide-eyed Stefan burst into the room.

Damon's groan echoed hers as she rolled off of the bed and crashed out on the sofa.

Stefan swallowed nervously, obviously expecting the worst. She could see the mischievous glint in his eyes, he was up to something – probably to screw with his brother's head just for fun.

"Elena?" She struggled not to laugh at his tone of voice. It was weak and confused.

"M'yeah?" she said in the way an adult might speak to a small child.

"Who is this?"

This time she had to look away from his face, he'd always been a great actor and now the look of confused innocence on Damon's face and the look of undisguised horror on Stefan's was enough to start her off.

"Elena, why the fuck are you laughing?" snapped Stefan angrily. She bit her lip and tried to get the giggles under control but she then made the mistake of looking at Damon's smug face who threw a tiny wink in her direction.

"Don't shout at her!"

Stefan glared between them, angry at her, shocked at him. He turned on his heel and began to walk out of the door.

"Hey Stefan! Nice to see you again!" came Damon's cheery call from the bed.

Stefan turned around in seemingly slow motion and ever so slowly made an obscene gesture at the both of them.

"I hate you both." he growled. "God, you're such an ass."

She sat laughing softly in the corner, yes, Stefan was pissed, but Damon was okay so, she could deal with it.

Suddenly, he groaned in pain and she was by his side in seconds tracing circles on his hand as she'd done earlier.

"Don't make me laugh." he grunted out.

"I'm really funny though. You might not be able to help it." she smirked as he rose one of his eyebrows.

"Elena."

"Damon."

He shook his head against his pillows. "And you say my sense of humour is bad."

She kissed his cheek, "But I'm hilarious." she said dryly.

He snorted then groaned. "'Lena. I hate you right now."

She pressed her face into the crook of his neck and kissed it softly. "You know you love me."

He lifted one arm up to stroke the side of her face softly and turned his face so he was nose to nose with her.

"I think do, Elena. I think I really do."


	13. You Should Kiss Me More Often

It was over two weeks before they got Damon out of hospital. She had a feeling the would have kept him in longer but he was always complaining. And she did mean _always_ – about the food, the beds, the visiting hours. Now he wasn't in the ICU she wasn't allowed to come and go as she pleased, she had to come during _visiting hours. _And the plural on 'hours' is misleading. They got one hour every day – legally. Normally she blackmailed or flirted her way in, but still! One hour isn't enough.

"I feel like a cripple." he moaned as he was rolled towards the car in a wheel chair.

"You are." was Ric's dry response.

Damon flipped him off and continued to bitch and moan until they arrived at the car. He stared at it.

"Elena."

Oh shit. She'd forgotten she'd driven his car here. "Yes, Damon?" she replied innocently.

"Is that my car? I can't be, my car didn't have scratches all along the back and my tires weren't as wrecked..."

"I'm guessing you want me to say no, huh?"

"Elena!" he whined. "Like, I love you and all, but that's my _car_! You know I love that car."

She smiled slightly as Damon's eyes widened slightly at his choice of words. He'd come close to telling her when he first woke up but he'd said that out of pure habit.

"Hey Ric? Put him in the back and I'll drive, yeah?." Ric winked and helped Damon into the back seat.

"Oh my god, I'm going to die." He said completely seriously.

"Damon! I'm a perfectly good driver!" she protested.

"You drive like a _snail! _Or like you're on a suicide mission!_"_

"She drives faster than a snail." Ric chimed in. Elena flashed him a triumphant look as she slid into the driver's seat and shifted into gear.

"Please. Not like last time."

* * *

"_Okay, shift into reverse. Elena! REVERSE. The one with the 'R'. Oh my god." Damon groaned and laid his head on the dashboard as his precious car kept rolling and closer to a large, menacing wall. _

"_Okay. Reverse." she said determinedly as the car shot forward._

"_ELENA!" he growled. This car was his baby and if she totalled it... _

_He didn't even want to think about it. _

"_You offered!" she shot in before he could make her get out. He had offered to teach her to drive after all. She snorted. Idiot. _

"_You said you'd driven before!" Technically, she had. Once. And she'd almost crashed. Whatever._

"_I have!"_

"_Driven what! Dodgems!" She rolled her eyes and elbowed him. Hard._

"_Ow! That actually hurt!" _

_She scowled. "Good."_

"_I'm sorry, Lay. But really, you thought it would be easy didn't you?" he said smugly._

"_It's this car-" she began._

"_No." Damon cut her off. "There is nothing, _nothing, w_rong with this car, okay?"_

_She laughed and placed her hands on the steering wheel determinedly._

"I'm begging you, Lay. I'll teach you in another car. This one is really confusing."

_She winked. "Fine. Go on, Salvatore. Show me how it's done."_

_He smirked and unbuckled their seatbelts before grabbing her waist and pulling her over so she was straddling him. _

"_Oh, the possibilities." he said softly. _

_She leaned in close to his lips. "I could do this." she kissed his shoulder. "Or this." His neck. "This." His ear. "Maybe this." His cheek._

_God, she was such a tease._

"_You're such a tease, Gilbert."_

"_I know." she winked and kissed the very corner of her mouth before pushing him so he could climb into the driver's seat._

_He went willingly shaking his head. "You are never driving this car ever again. You will kill her." _

_She smiled and shook her head. "It's a her? A her? You really are in love with _it. _Fine."_

"_I mean it, Lay. Never."_

_She laughed. "You love this car like it's your girlfriend."_

"_Yeah, with this car, some food money and you in it, I'm good to go for the rest of time."_

_She smirked and tickled his ribs. "You'll teach me right?"_

"_Yep. Just not in this baby."_

_She rolled her eyes and settled into her seat and letting him drive wherever he was taking her now._

* * *

"You did teach me eventually." she pointed out.

"Yes, and it was awful." she rolled her eyes.

"You forget I'm driving your car and could _accidentally_ drive into that hedge. Or that lamppost. Maybe a tree..." she trailed off as if she was really considering it.

"You're an amazing driver, 'Lens. Better than me. Phenomenal."

She laughed and Ric muttered under his breath. "Whipped."

"It's true, he's been whipped since I was four, _right Damon?" _she said sweetly.

"Kill me." he grumbled under his breath, then louder: "Yes. 'Cause you're amazing."

She sped around a corner just a little too fast causing Damon to hiss – whether from pain or fear for his car she couldn't tell.

"Whoever said flattery will get you nowhere _lied." _she stated matter of factly as she pulled into the driveway and stepped out and opened he Damon's door.

She leant down and kissed his softly. "Come on cripple." she said brightly as she and Ric helped Damon through the door and placed him on the couch.

"It's freezing in here." Damon noted, more worried about Elena than himself. "When you were here didn't you ever turn the heating on?"

She frowned. "I didn't stay here, I stayed at mine."

He looked at her incredulously. "What?"

She settled next to him and rested her head on his chest. "Relax. Klaus is in custody and I look my body guard." she pointed to Ric who chuckled and saluted. It was strange, normally he'd feel jealous that Ric had been staying with Elena but he knew how in love with Jenna he was. Speaking of, she had probably been staying with them too.

That relaxed him considerably as he wrapped an arm around the beautiful girl lying next to him. "It's still freezing." he moaned.

She scoffed and rolled away from him to light the fire. She also grabbed a blanket and chucked it at him.

"To stop diddums complaining." he scowled.

"Two more weeks and you will regret that Gilbert."

"I thought it was three."

"I've been through worse than this. I could be up in a week and a half. "

"Yeah-" she snorted. "That'll work out _great."_

"You can't pull off sarcasm like I can, Lens." he smirked as he pulled her close to him.

She smiled into his neck. "I'm glad you're okay."

He stroked her hair softly and kissed her forehead. "I promised I wouldn't leave you didn't I?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips to his. He smiled against her lips and placed kisses down her neck.

"I've missed you." More kisses. "So much."

She used his hair to pull his head up to meet her lips.

"If you didn't have stitches in your stomach I'd be on top of you right now."

"I hate Klaus. Not because he stabbed me, but because he's depriving me of you." he frowned and kissed her anyway. "I can still do this though." He kissed his way down her neck and followed the shape of her v-neck shirt. She rolled away laughing against his lips when she kissed him once more.

She stood up and pulled out another of the sofas so it became a bed. She then grabbed some pillows and blankets and gently helped Damon over to it before crashing out next to him.

"You should kiss me more often." She did as he wanted and captured his lips with her own.

"The last time I said that to you you were completely wasted."

She shot bolt upright, her eyes wide. "You remember that?"

He frowned. "You mean _you _remember that? Jesus, Elena, you weren't as drunk as I thought you were."

She prodded his chest. "I didn't think you remembered, we were both so hungover the next day, remember I had stayed at yours and we woke up and yelled at each other because the other was 'breathing too loudly'?"

He laughed at the memory and wrapped an arms around her shoulders. "I can't believe you thought I'd forget." he shook his head. "I'd never forget the first time kissing you."

She kissed him sweetly. "You never brought it up." she shrugged apologetically.

"Because, I had just kissed my seventeen year old best friend when she was absolutely _wasted –_ of course I didn't bring it up! I didn't know if you remembered, maybe you just wanted to forget about it."

She snorted. "I'd dreamed about kissing you since I was thirteen. Not likely that I'd want to forget."

"Since you were thirteen? 'Lena, we wasted so much time together." She smiled.

"It's better this way, if we'd gotten together when we were younger we would have broken up over something stupid. You know how moody I was." she grinned ruefully.

"Still are." he muttered playfully.

She smacked his head. "Shut up and sleep." he kissed her lips so softly she always exploded before burying his face in her hair and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Elena woke to an annoyingly loud ringtone piercing through her ears. Combined with the sunlight streaming through the windows she wanted nothing more than to roll over and bury her face in the pillow.

She groaned and she grabbed her phone and answered it groggily.

"Hello?"

"Good morning Miss Gilbert. We've managed to detain Klaus Michaelson on accusations of attempted murder, abuse and several other crimes unrelated to your case. If you could come down to the station to answer some questions it would help a great deal. Also, we understand Mr. Salvatore in unable to come down but if Mr. Saltzman and Ms. Sommers could accompany you I will save a great deal of time."

Her cloudy brain struggled to process the information. "What you have him? It's over?"

Damon seemed to have woken up because he was gently rubbing circles on her back and watching her wide wide eyes.

"Well, we have him here, but we are sure without a steady lawyer he won't be able to get off."

She smiled widely. "Thank you. We'll be down later." She hung up and turned to face Damon and began placing pepper kisses all over his face and neck.

He turned his face away laughing. "Good news?"

She locked her lips with his and laughed against his mouth. "Amazing."


	14. Don't Pout, It's Not Attractive

"Do you really have to go down and leave me all alone?" Damon pouted.

Elena rolled her eyes exasperated, "Don't pout Damon, it's not attractive."

He pouted some more, "I can't believe you're leaving me like this." he sighed.

She sat down beside him and kissed his cheek softly, causing him to frown slightly. "You're leaving me here all alone to fend for myself and that's all I get?"

She shook her head laughing as she kissed his lips lightly, sparks flying between them. "Grow up. We waited hours already. The main station shuts at eight anyway, we have t go now, or we won't make it before it closes. And don't sound so needy. Go to sleep, try not to do anything stupid."

He smirked and rose an eyebrow. "I would never." he said slyly, reaching up to pull her lips to meet his.

"They're waiting at the station-" she insisted, pulling away, "-see you later." She kissed him once more before disappearing out of the door, leaving Damon staring after her wishing he wasn't hurt.

* * *

"So-" the elder police officer asked after what seemed like hours. Elena, Jenna and Ric sat in the questioning answering question after question about the incident and had now moved past the domestic abuse accusations and were now on to Klaus' background. "-We understand you were in a relationship with Klaus Mikaelson for a number of years, yes?"

She frowned, as did Ric, wasn't it obvious she had been in a 'relationship' with him?

"Obviously. He was abusing her, as we just covered in painful detail." shot out Ric bitterly.

The police officer rolled his eyes, "We understand this is brutal to go through but with cases like these we have to meticulous with every detail, a slip up, even a tiny one could result in him being allowed back on the streets."

Elena nodded briefly, apologising and allowing them to continue.

"At any point, during all the time you have known him, did he ever show signs of any criminal activity? Drugs, theft, that sort of thing."

She tensed, this was exactly was she didn't want to get into. If Klaus was found guilty of any of that he would hand in all those who were linked in a heartbeat. He would most definitely bring up her brother. She was torn, they would find out anyway and question him about it and he would still hand in the names. She would be making it easier for the police and saving valuable time and money by just telling them.

"Elena?" Ric prompted gently. She started, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Nothing substantial, but there were hints. He would have money suddenly, working all sorts of hours, strange habits." Once she had started she just couldn't stop. Details came flooding out of her mouth in short bursts.

"He kept his study locked at all times, his phones would change every few days. He wouldn't discuss 'business' as he called it over the phone or through e-mail, he had to meet face to face. He always kept strange hours, coming in in the middle of the night and he was always tense when stuff like drug raids or burglaries would come on the news." she sighed. "He always avoided the cops, but was on his best behaviour around them. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and found him burning clothes in the back garden. If that isn't suspicious then I don't know what is."

Silence followed as everyone stared at her, mouths open slightly.

When the police officer spoke next, his tone was stern and disbelieving. "Miss Gilbert. If you knew all this why didn't you come forward before?" he asked scathingly.

Again, Ric jumped in. "Because he was abusing her. Can't you see her face? It's not as bad as it was but when she reported it they took pictures, I'm sure you can look at them. She couldn't just walk down here and report all that while he was using her as a punching bag!" he exploded angrily. Even after only knowing her a short while, he had become exceptionally protective of her. No one should have to go through what she had.

Elena glanced at him, urging him to shut the hell up. He rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat, fuming with rage.

"We understand that, sir." said the younger officer, who was looking at his colleague as if he was an idiot. "Anything else, miss?"

Elena shook her head, dying to just go home and collapse. The police officer sighed and glanced at his partner.

"That should be enough I suppose. We may have to call you back down though."

Elena breathed out a sigh of relief as she stood up. "Thank you." she said before hurrying out of the station, not waiting for Ric and Jenna.

* * *

She cursed as she pulled up in front of the Boarding House. She'd left her key there since she'd used it to let herself in all those weeks ago.

Reluctantly, she rang the doorbell, knowing Damon would either be sleeping and mad at whoever had rang the doorbell, or still mad at whoever rang the doorbell for forcing him to stand up.

A very pissed Damon appeared at the door, his face set in stone. "What?" he snapped suddenly before a smirk slid onto his face. "Hey, gorgeous." he said cockily.

She rolled her eyes and elbowed his ribs as she walked past and into the kitchen. "Go lie down!" she yelled through to him from the kitchen.

He smirked as he edged into the room, only wincing slightly at each step. "But I'm bored." he said matter of factly as he sat at the breakfast bar.

She rolled her eyes and handed him the cup of coffee she'd just made. "But you're hurt." she said knowledgeably as she poured herself another cup.

He snorted. "That's never stopped me before." he smiled indulgently at her as she sat down opposite him. "Knew you couldn't resist me." he winked laughing.

She rose and eyebrow and smiled widely.

"What did they ask you?" he asked casually.

She shrugged, "The usual. Details, previous-" she broke off and stirred her coffee edgily. "About previous criminal activity." she said quietly, praying he wouldn't pick up on her mood.

He battled his way around the island to sit beside her and trace circles on the back of her hand. "What's up, Laylay?"

She smiled weakly and turned to face him, her sad chocolate eyes meeting his worried blue ones. His hand reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his finger lightly.

She shook her head slightly, laughing forcefully, "Just stuff about Jer." she shrugged and drank her coffee quickly.

"Elena." he said firmly. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

* * *

"_Elena," he said rolling his eyes when she wouldn't come out from under the covers. "You know you can talk to me about anything." he prodded her gently._

_She rolled over, revealing her sad face "You're a guy, Damon." she prodded him back._

_He sank back onto the bed beside his fifteen year old best friend and hugged her tight. "I'm still your best friend."_

_She sighed, "You won't like it." she mumbled weakly, causing him to raise an eyebrow. _

"_Why not?"_

"_Because it's about Matt." she murmured quietly, causing anger to build up inside him._

"_What did he do?" he asked in a low voice, clenching his fist against the duvet._

"_He stood me up." she said softly, her usually bright eyes sad._

"_Again?" he growled."You didn't let me smash his face in last time, 'Lens, but I'm going to this time!" _

_She rolled her eyes and buried her face in his neck, smiling as his arm automatically wound around her and pulled her close. _

"_Don't okay? It'll just make everything worse." He rose an eyebrow at her words. Was it his fault somehow?_

"_Is it to do with me or something?" he asked questioningly._

"_He said he couldn't go for me because of you. Apparently, I'm 'off-limits'." she sighed and shook her head._

_He frowned slightly. "Does that bother you?" _

_She shook her her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Nope." she whispered against his ear._

* * *

"Nope." she said. "Not this. I don't _want_ to get into this."

He frowned. "Why not?"

She glared at him, "Because it's a whole big mess of lies and bullshit and blackmail!" she practically yelled at him, completely exasperated.

He glared straight back at her, "And what?" he asked sharply, "What's the problem?"

"Damon! I already told you about Jeremy! Can you just drop it!" she growled before rushing upstairs. He sighed and took one glance at the staircase, considering going after her.

He sat down in defeat. Sure he could manage a few forced steps from the living room to the kitchen but stairs were a whole different ball game. He grunted as he practically collapsed onto the sofa and covered his face with a pillow. Right now, he needed to be able to charge upstairs after her, pin her down and fight it out of her. He had said he wasn't one for pushing but when she was upset, angry or in any sort of trouble he honestly couldn't give a damn.

"Elena?" Ric's voice echoed through the silent house. "Damon, you alright man?" he asked lightly.

He groaned and sat up. "Not really. Want to go upstairs and drag Elena down here kicking and screaming?" he said hopefully.

Ric snorted. "Last time I tried to touch her – when I was _helping _her – she punched me in the jaw. No thanks." he sat down next to him with a glass of bourbon in his hand. "What's up?"

"I don't know." he frowned and ground his teeth together. "Which is why I need to be able to go upstairs and find out."

Ric laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She's tough, Damon. She'll come talk to you if she needs it."

Damon rolled his eyes and snorted. "No she won't. She only talks about stuff if you force it out of her. And I fucking _hate _having to force stuff out of her." he moaned and snatched Ric's bourbon who promptly snatched it straight back, rolling his eyes.

"Damon. You're on painkillers remember? Alcohol plus meds. Not smart, man." Ric said reasonably.

Damon snorted. "You're no fun when you're responsible."

"And you're no fun when you're attempting to mix meds with bourbon."

Damon smirked. "Go talk to Elena then." Smiling innocently when Ric looked defeated.

Ric laughed and stood up. "Fine. I'll go ask her _nicely _to come down and talk to you." he playfully punched his chest. "If she hurts me, it's on you."

* * *

"Hey 'Lena." Ric smiled at her as he strolled casually into her room and bounced onto her bed.

She rolled her eyes and smiled lightly at him. "God, you're so like Damon." she shook her head laughing.

He shrugged. "Damon's crashed on the sofa and Jenna's at home. What you doing?" he asked hopefully.

She eyed him suspiciously. She'd thought he'd just come out and tell her to go talk to Damon. She shrugged and moved over so he could sit next to her. "Just watching some awful horror movie." she scoffed at something that had just happened on the screen. "I mean look!" she said exasperated as she gestured to the television.

Ric laughed loudly. "Man, that is fake!" he smiled. "What is this anyway?" he asked amused.

She shrugged laughing, "I dunno. I was just flicking through and it looked like something to kill the time."

Ric lay back on the sofa's and chucked one at her. "Mind if I watch it with you? I'm bored at hell. Damon's no fun when he's hurt." He pouted innocently and fluttered his eyelashes.

Elena burst out laughing and nodded, smiling. "Sure. But only 'cause that face was hilarious and you can be my entertainment for the night."

Ric hit her in the face with a pillow. "Hey! I'm hurt by that!"

Elena shook her head and buried her face in the cushions behind her. "You and Damon really are so alike."

Ric shrugged. "Sometimes. Other times we're completely different."

Elena smiled slightly. "Good. I couldn't deal with two of you."

Ric leant back and stretched, yawning. "I know you care about him."

Elena blushed, looking away to the side causing Ric to prod her face mockingly. "Ickle 'Lena blushing. Aw!" he mocked, in a baby voice.

Elena scowled and glared at him, pinching him hard in retaliation.

"Ow!" he yelled out. "That hurt!"

"Ickle Ricky hurted his arm?" Elena mocked.

Ric glared at her. " You're exactly like him too. He'd resort to dirty tactics aswell. No wonder he loves you." he said, covering his arms from her attack.

Elena froze, the smile merging into a look of shock. "What?" she said softly making Ric's eyes widen slightly.

Ric looked at her with a confused expression. "You never thought?"

Elena shook her head slightly, a slight smile appearing on her face. Of course, he'd said it countless times but always as friends. And then, there was the other day at the hospital but she'd assumed he had been either high on pain medication or joking.

Ric elbowed her. "You're oblivious." he shook her head. "Honestly."

She rolled off of the bed and pulled on her slippers. "Night Ric." she said softly.

Ric rose an eyebrow, smiling slightly, "I don't need to ask where you're going, do I?"

Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He's my weak spot. He's the one person I can't stay mad at." she smiled at Ric, "Though I love to try."

Ric rolled off of the bed and headed to the door, "I'm gonna head over to Jenna's. See you in the morning." he said quietly before slipping outside.

She sighed and slipped on a hoodie before making her way downstair,s smiling at the sight that she saw.

Damon lay crashed out on the sofa, his mouth hanging open slightly and his hair tousled from running his fingers through it.

She smiled gently to herself and lay down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. His strong arms wound their way around her still form and pulled her close. She would talk to him. Tomorrow, the day after, eventually – it didn't matter. What mattered was here and now and the way she was still feeling even after four years apart.

* * *

_Horrible ending. _


	15. I'm Sorry

Elena woke up to a strong hand slowly tracing the line of her jaw. She rolled over and opened her eyes slightly, coming face to face with her blue eyed best friend.

"When did this happen?" she wondered out loud. When had then become more than just the traditional 'friends'? They hadn't talked about it, it had simply happened.

Damon closed his eyes and leant his head back on the soft pillows. "I don't know. I think it was always there."

She rolled on to her side to look at him, taking in every aspect of his face. "It was." she answered simply.

Damon stretched an arm to wrap it around her and pull her close, pressing his lips against the crown of her head. "You were just too stubborn to even acknowledge the fact that you kissed me." he murmured. She could practically see the smirk that would be on his face.

"You kissed me, remember?" she reminded him, causing him to snort.

"You made me. There you were lying there all innocent like, staring at me with those big brown eyes with your pouty little smile." he laughed softly into her hair. "And it didn't help that I'd liked you for _years_ before that."

Elena laughed softly, shaking her head. "Fine. I wanted you to kiss me. The alcohol made me bold, so shoot me!"

Damon's body shook as he began laughing. "You more than wanted me to kiss you 'Lens. The subtle hints were awesome." he kissed her temple and smiled into her hair.

Elena smacked his chest and pressed her face against it. "I'm cold, Damon."

* * *

"_I'm cold, Damon!" she whined as she lay on the front lawn pouting. Damon smirked at her and lay down next to her, smiling knowingly. _

"_It's Bonfire Night." he said knowledgeably, proud he still knew the date after how much he'd drank._

_Elena scoffed adorably, washing the thought away. "So what?" _

_Damon smiled at her slightly, his cocky smirk shining through. "That's November." he said, almost questioningly._

"_I'm cold, Damon." she repeated, looking at him with big eyes. He smirked and knew exactly what game she was playing._

_He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, pressing his lips to her temple. "Better?" he said, his mind free of any reason why he shouldn't be doing this with the girl he was practically in love with while they were both drunk out their minds. _

_Elena buried her face into his side and smiled and Damon rolled them over so he was on top of her causing Elena's eyes to flash in victory._

_Her small arms wound their way around his neck and played teasingly with the hair that rested there. He dropped his head so it rested in the crook of her shoulder and so her lips were placed, almost painfully, close to his neck._

"_Much better." she whispered softly against the skin near his ear._

_Damon drew back and looked her straight in the eye, her brown eyes glittering in the early morning light._

_She instinctively pulled him closer, his lips only centimetres away from hers. Her alcohol clouded mind couldn't find any reason not to kiss him right here, right now._

_He pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat, slowly, painfully working his way up her neck towards her lips._

_After agonizing seconds of waiting she gave up. She threaded her fingers roughly through his hair and pulled him up to collide his lips with hers._

_It was better than either could have imagined. Neither was sober enough to realise that their actions would have serious consequences when they woke up but neither cared. They moved together, releasing all the desperation that had been building in the passing years. He rolled over so she was straddling him, his fingers entangling with her long, dark tresses. His tongue traced her bottom lip gently, causing her to moan and pull him closer to her, her fingernails teasing the nape of his neck._

"_Elena." he breathed against her lips, moaning as she moved form his mouth to his jaw, tracing a pattern along his neck to the hollow of his throat._

_They lay like that for a long time, neither reinitiating another kiss but at the same time each was reluctant to move. _

_Finally, Elena broke the silence and sat up, holding her hand out to him which he gladly took. "We'll talk in the morning." she promised more to herself than to him._

_They stood up, fingers interlocked and made their way inside to where the party had died down and the stragglers headed home. Only those who were staying the night or had passed out remained crashed in various places across the ground floor._

_He slowly pushed open his bedroom door and collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the soft pillows as memories flashed before his eyes. _

_A small body crawled up next to him and curled against his causing his arm to wrap around her and pull her close._

"_You should kiss me more often." she murmured into his skin._

"_I will." he whispered softly, his eyes drooping shut. "I will."_

* * *

"The trial starts tomorrow." she said into the silent room. The relaxed atmosphere crashing down around them.

"I know." he said hesitantly. "You'll be okay?"

Elena nodded. "I'll be fine." she said in a final tone.

He twisted a piece of hair between his finger tips and pressed his lips softly to her hair. "Are you gonna talk to me about Jeremy?" he asked softly.

Elena sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling with wide, unforgiving eyes.

"It started after Dad died. He took it hard y'know? He was only seventeen, it was just past his birthday." she shrugged. "I'd already met Eli and he'd just introduced me to Klaus, who before you ask, wasn't such a dick until after everything with Jer happened. He was sweet and funny and he had this accent that was just adorable." Elena laughed softly. "He was good for me."

Damon tensed slightly, remembering everything bad about that piece of shit. "Klaus started getting into all this stuff. He was doing drugs every few days, getting more and more into it. He wasn't addicted at that point, he would stop for months on end. It was more of a convenience than anything else."

Elena shook her head. "I let it slide. I knew what Jeremy had been going through and he'd started doing pot just to get through the day and I knew Klaus' past was dark. His little sister and his brother were both killed just over a year before we met."

"That doesn't give him an excuse, Elena." he spat out through gritted teeth.

"I know." she said sadly. "But it's what made me ignore the drugs. It just progressed from there. He never took my money, he was decent enough that he used his own so when he couldn't pay for the drugs – this was when he _was_ addicted. It was a fine line and he was always dancing just on the edge – he would contact his dealer, Lee, who was high up in the ranks of some gang and ask for jobs. He was like a hanger-on at that point. It kept going until he was involved in the actual gang."

Damon rose a questioning eyebrow. "Jobs? You mean-" he trailed off, unsure about how far he should go.

"Robberies, hit and runs, setting up hard fronts, robbing hard fronts. Black market smuggling of everything possible. Illegal car parts, guns, corrupt ID's. Everything you can imagine. There was even a loan shark business he was part of. He would be a collector. If people couldn't pay up he would show them the 'error of their ways'." she said through gritted teeth. "It was sick. I just couldn't handle it so I broke it off."

"It should have ended there, but I'd introduced Jeremy to Eli and he knew what Jer was going through so he'd always made an effort to include him – inviting him out, stuff like that. Some where along the way Jeremy got into contact with Lee, the dealer, so soon he was doing the same odd jobs, making easy money and hard drugs were just a luxury you were provided with."

Her voice was strong but a lot like him, her eyes were always more truthful. They were so dark and pained it made him want to steal all her pain away and hide her from the world. He wrapped his arms around her and leant his chin on her shoulder as her back pressed into his chest.

"This part's sort of grey. Jeremy wouldn't say what was going on and Klaus and I weren't on speaking terms. I only know what I know because Elijah always kept me up to speed. Michael, the gang's leader got word on a major shipment of guns from a rival gang and being a selfish, money-orientated dick he got Lee and all his contacts to move in a seize the shipment. Jeremy got roped in. It was good money and would put him in a good position for future jobs and a membership."

Damon breathed out a shallow breath. She was in deeper than he'd thought. _He _was in deeper that he'd thought. This wasn't just an abusive ex-boyfriend who had a knife handy this was gangs. He'd seen his share of gang wars, they were the nastiest, more blood ridden battle fields. The members killed mercilessly, gangs were a family, any threats were taking out cold-heartedly. It was simple, clean, easy.

Elena closed her eyes, cracks showing in her strong façade. "It wasn't a rival gang." she said softly. "It was the police. They'd gotten a track on Michael and had been planning the raid for months. They had set up a fake gun shipment and met Klaus, Jer and everyone else with full riot gear ready to take them down."

Damon held her closer, wishing he hadn't gone away. If he hadn't so much would be different. After Grayson had died he could have helped Jeremy. He could have kept Elena away from Klaus. He could have stopped them both getting mixed up in everything that was wrong with their lives.

"I still remember it. I got two phone calls that night. The first was from Eli calling to tell me he was at the station with Klaus. I never got details from him then, but I knew they had been caught and I knew Jer had been with him. It was hours after that that he finally called me. I-" her voice finally cracked, her strong barriers crumbling down. "I didn't know what to do."

She closed her eyes and wound her fingers through his, clasping his hand tightly.

"Klaus saw how messed up I was about it and he took the blame. Not for everyone, but for Jeremy. For my little brother. He told me he would hate if anything had happened to Kol, his brother who joined the army that fall so he took the blame. He told the police he'd pushed him into it, told them he had used blackmail. They accepted it without a fight or even any serious questioning. Jeremy went free and so did Klaus. Michael set them all up with his lawyers so they each walked free."

Kol? His mind refused to function. It couldn't be the same one... No. He protested to himself. He opened his mouth to question further but stopped short at the look of Elena's face. It was like that of someone who was holding on by the smallest thread. She looked as though she might snap at the slightest thing or crumble in his arms.

Elena shook her head sadly to stop him speaking. "I owed him so much. No one knew how that trial was going to turn out, but he still took the wrap for Jer."

"He would have gone free, 'Lena. He would have been fine." he tried to protest. She silenced him with a hand over his mouth.

"If it had been Stefan, or if it had been me and someone had covered for us and taken the blame for a crime that was our own fault; wouldn't you owe them everything? Even if Stefan had walked free, no charges pressed. You would owe them."

Damon was silenced, glimpsing slightly what had been running through her head. It was more the Stefan analogy that got to him. He may not been on the best terms with his brother but anyone who helped him in any shape or form, anyone who was there for him when he wasn't... well, he owed them a lot.

He nodded curtly. "I understand 'Lena. I don't like it, but I understand." he whispered.

"Afterwards I said I owed it to him, and to our relationship to try again and for a while it was fine until he started getting violent." she swallowed thickly. "You know everything after that."

She fell silent, her eyes pained as she relived the memories. He stroked her hair back from her face softly, causing her to lock gazes with him.

"I'm sorry." he whispered to her, hoping she would understand just how sorry he was.

"Don't say you're sorry. It wasn't your fault." she said dryly as she looked away.

"I'm not sorry it happened Elena, I know it wasn't my fault and that I couldn't have stopped it. I'm sorry for everything you had to go through and all the pain tit caused you. I'm sorry you're going to have to go through the rest of your life without your dad. I'm sorry you had to see how much pain Jeremy was in. I'm sorry you were caught up in everything with Klaus. I'm sorry you're too damn good, so good that you couldn't just thank Klaus and leave it at that. I'm sorry for everything he put you through."

He took her face gently in his hands and cupped it, gently turning her to look at him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to hold you while you screamed and cried and yelled. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help Jeremy. I'm sorry I wasn't here to threaten Klaus away. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner to get you out of this mess. I'm sorry I've probably made everything worse."

Now he'd started speaking he couldn't stop. Every fear and thought he'd had since coming home was now spilling out. He had to make her understand how sorry he was she'd gone through that alone.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, ignoring the pain it caused in his stomach. He buried his face in her hair and kissed it gently.

"I'm sorry I left." he whispered softly into the now silent night.

* * *

_Okay, slow build up. Very slow build up in fact. I wish I had slotted this in around chapter 6/7 then this story wouldn't end up so long. Seems like it drags on a bit. Yeah..._

_ Do you want me to round it up nowish or drag in Lee/Klaus/Michael and add some drama? _

_-E_

_Also, new story coming up in the next couple days. Badass Damon anyone ;)? _


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